COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s coalition, the National People’s Power (NPP), was set for victory in a snap general election, results from the Indian Ocean island’s poll body showed on Friday (Nov 15).
Dissanayake, who won the presidential election in September, is seeking a mandate for his policies aimed at alleviating distress among the poor in a country struggling to emerge from a severe financial crisis.
Marxist-leaning Dissanayake’s coalition had just three of parliament’s 225 seats before Thursday’s election, prompting him to dissolve it and seek a fresh mandate.
“We see this as a critical turning point for Sri Lanka. We expect a mandate to form a strong parliament, and we are confident the people will give us this mandate,” Dissanayake said after casting his vote on Thursday.
“There is a change in Sri Lanka’s political culture that started in September, which must continue.”
NPP won 52 seats, putting them on course for a majority in the parliamentary election, according to the latest poll body results.
Just over 17 million Sri Lankans were eligible to elect lawmakers for a five-year term. A record 690 political parties and independent groups were contesting across 22 electoral districts.
