Getty ImagesSri Lanka’s new leadership alliance is on track to victory in the country’s snap elections, according to partial official results.
The National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has so far won 97 seats and more than 60% of the vote. A majority would require 113 seats in the 225-member House of Representatives.
Mr Dissanayake, who was elected in September, needs a clear majority to deliver on his promises to fight corruption and restore stability after the worst economic crisis in the island’s history.
The high cost of living was an important issue for many voters.
Analysts expect the NPP to do well in the election, but what remains to be seen is the margin of victory and whether it can secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass ambitious reforms.
In the outgoing Congress, Dissanayake’s Janata Vimukti Peramuna Party (JVP), which currently leads the NPP, had just three seats. Further results are expected to be announced later Friday.
“I believe this is an important election, a turning point for Sri Lanka,” Dissanayake, 55, told reporters after voting in the capital Colombo on Thursday.
Nearly two-thirds of former members of parliament have chosen not to stand for re-election, including prominent members of the former ruling Rajapaksa dynasty.
Sajith Premadasa, who Dissanayake lost in the presidential election, led the opposition coalition.
Dissanayake called for a snap election soon after taking office to seek new powers to advance his policies. “There is no point in continuing a parliament that does not meet the wishes of the people,” he said.
Of the 225 seats in parliament, 196 members are directly elected. The rest are nominated by political parties based on their share of the vote in so-called proportional representation.
In 2022, high inflation, food and fuel shortages led to a political crisis that led to the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Although his successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, successfully negotiated a bailout package worth $3 billion with the International Monetary Fund, many Sri Lankans continue to feel economic hardship.
Manjula Devi, a 26-year-old garment factory worker in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone near Colombo, said: “We are still stuck with the problems we faced earlier. We don’t even have financial assistance to meet our daily needs. We haven’t gotten it yet.” he told the BBC.
In Sri Lanka, the number of people living below the poverty line has increased to 25.9% over the past four years. The World Bank predicts economic growth will be only 2.2% in 2024.
Disillusionment with the established political establishment greatly helped the leftist Dissanayake during the September elections. His party has traditionally supported strong state intervention and tax cuts, and promoted left-wing economic policies.
Dissanayake made history as Sri Lanka’s first president to be elected with less than 50% of the vote. Many observers think his alliance will work this time.
The fate of his alliance will depend in part on the fragmentation of the opposition, with many leaders and parties splitting into smaller groups or contesting as independent candidates.
Observers point out that the JVP-led alliance is waging a more vigorous election campaign than the opposition, which is likely to have a greater impact on the election outcome.
What is clear is that whoever comes to power will be under enormous pressure to deliver on and deliver on campaign promises.
The economic situation in Sri Lanka remains unstable and the main focus remains on the provision of essential goods and services. How the country moves forward from this point will be the real challenge for the new government.
Additional reporting by Kelly Ng
