Sri Lanka leader’s coalition set for election victory

Friday at 02:54 AM

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s coalition, the National People’s Power, is set for victory in a snap general election, results from the Indian Ocean island’s poll body show.

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.

NPP won 44 seats, receiving almost 62 per cent or more than five million votes in Thursday’s election, putting them on course for victory, latest results on the Election Commission of Sri Lanka’s website showed.

“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.”

Samagi Jana Balawegaya party of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, the main challenger to Dissanayake’s coalition, won 11 seats and about 19 per cent of the votes polled.

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.

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