Sri Lanka defaulted on $50 billion in external debt in 2022, pushing the populace towards an alternative candidate.
Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning National People’s Power Party (NPP) has won big in the parliamentary election, securing a two-thirds majority under leader President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The Elections Commission reported that the NPP won a landslide 159 of 225 seats.
These results follow Dissanayake’s presidential victory on Sept. 21. In Sri Lanka, parliamentary elections take place at local level only once a leader has been chosen.
Dissanayake’s earlier victory represented the first win outside of Sri Lanka’s traditional parties since its independence from British rule in 1948. This victory offers the 55-year-old a rare opportunity to fulfill campaign promises, including drafting a new constitution, without relying on coalition support.
«We have very well understood the weight of this victory», said top NPP official Tilvin Silva.
«The people have placed immense trust on us and we must keep that trust.»Dissanayake’s Gains In Tamil Strongholds
Of the 225 seats in parliament, 196 were directly up for grabs under Sri Lanka’s electoral system. The rest were nominated in each district among the parties based on proportional representation.
