Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, winning at least 123 of the 225 seats in Parliament, it was announced today.
The Marxist leader, who was elected in September’s presidential election, won more than 60 percent of the vote, according to partial results released by the Electoral Commission.
The Marxist leader, who was elected in September’s presidential election, won more than 60 percent of the vote, according to partial results released by the Electoral Commission.
The National People’s Power Party (NPP) of Dissanayake, 55, needed to win 113 seats to secure a majority and push through a reform program as the country grapples with a severe economic and debt crisis.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya, or United People’s Power Party, led by opposition leader Sajith Premedasa, won 31 seats.
Dissanayake was elected president on September 21 in a vote that signaled a rejection of the traditional political parties that have governed the island nation since independence from British rule in 1948.
However, he won only 42 percent of the vote, raising doubts about the NPP’s prospects in Thursday’s general election.
In a major surprise and shift in the country’s electoral landscape, Dissanayake’s party won the Jaffna constituency, the northern Tamil heartland, and several other minority strongholds.
This is a major shift in attitude among Tamils, who have long been suspicious of the Sinhalese-majority rulers.
Tamil rebels fought an unsuccessful civil war between 1983 and 2009 to carve out a separate homeland, claiming they were being marginalized by Sinhalese-controlled governments.
The conflict has left more than 100,000 people dead, according to conservative UN estimates.
The National People’s Power Party (NPP) of Dissanayake, 55, needed to win 113 seats to secure a majority and push through a reform program as the country grapples with a severe economic and debt crisis.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya, or United People’s Power Party, led by opposition leader Sajith Premedasa, won 31 seats.
Dissanayake was elected president on September 21 in a vote that signaled a rejection of the traditional political parties that have governed the island nation since independence from British rule in 1948.
However, he won only 42 percent of the vote, raising doubts about the NPP’s prospects in Thursday’s general election.
In a major surprise and shift in the country’s electoral landscape, Dissanayake’s party won the Jaffna constituency, the northern Tamil heartland, and several other minority strongholds.
This is a major shift in attitude among Tamils, who have long been suspicious of the Sinhalese-majority rulers.
Tamil rebels fought an unsuccessful civil war between 1983 and 2009 to carve out a separate homeland, claiming they were being marginalized by Sinhalese-controlled governments.
The conflict has left more than 100,000 people dead, according to conservative UN estimates.
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