COLOMBO: The ruling National People’s Power party led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is poised for a sweeping victory in the Sri Lankan parliamentary election held on Thursday.
As of 11 pm local time, with partial results declared, the NPP has secured a substantial 70 per cent of the vote. The main opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and the National Democratic Front (NDF), backed by former president Ranil Wickremesinghe, have been reduced to just 11 and 5 per cent of the vote, respectively. In the only polling division result announced so far, the NPP won decisively in the southern province capital of Galle with over 70 per cent of the vote.
Analysts note that the NPP has increased its vote share compared to the September presidential election. If this trend continues, the party will surpass the 150-seat mark, achieving an absolute majority in the 225-member parliament.
Thursday’s election was the first major test for NPP. The snap parliamentary polls were the first after the 2022 economic crisis. Monitoring groups said the turnout out was lower than the high 79 per cent recorded at the presidential election held in September.