Colombo: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leftist coalition won a landslide victory in snap legislative elections. The results were announced on Friday. The voters held the establishment parties responsible for triggering an economic crisis in the country.
In September, the Marxist leader, Dissanayake, had won the presidential elections as he vowed to combat graft and recover stolen assets in the island nation which was facing financial crash since the past two years.
He then decided to immediately call for polls and secure parliamentary backing for his agenda. His National People’s Power (NPP) coalition won at least 123 seats in the 225-member assembly. The counting is still on.
The NPP won the most votes in the northern district of Jaffna, dominated by the Tamil community.
After casting his ballot on Thursday, Dissanayake, the 55-year-old son of a labourer, had said he expected ‘a strong majority’ in parliament.
“We believe that this is a crucial election that will mark a turning point in Sri Lanka,” he had said, as quoted by the NDTV.
Police said the nine-hour voting period passed without any incidents of violence. Voter turnout was estimated at under 70 percent, less than in September presidential polls that witnessed nearly 80 percent turnout.
