Colombo (PTI): Most Sri Lankans are optimistic about a durable peace in the country, with a very high 81 per cent firmly believing that all ethnic groups can live in harmony in the island nation, a survey has shown.

The opinion poll, commissioned to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the country's independence, revealed that 86 per cent of the people surveyed were optimistic of a durable peace in Sri Lanka while 81 per cent believe that all ethnic groups in the Sinhalese-dominated state would be able to live in harmony.

Among the leaders who are alive, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was described as the 'best' and was ahead of former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, the Nielsan-Sunday Times opinion poll said. The survey, with a randomly selected sample size of 519 of both sexes across all age (15 years upwards) and ethnic groups, revealed that 21 per cent of them described President Rajapaksa as the 'best living leader' for leading the country towards economic development and prosperity.

This was far ahead of former president Chandrika Kumaratunga (one per cent/eighth place) and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe (one per cent/10th place), the state-owned Daily News reported.

The late prime minister D S Senanayake (33 per cent) and the late president Ranasinghe Premadasa (22 per cent) received higher ratings, the opinion poll said.

To the question, 'Are You happy or unhappy that you were born in Sri Lanka,' 92 per cent of the participants said they were happy to have been born here. Of those surveyed, 70 per cent said they would not migrate to another country.