Srilanka Parliamentary Election 2024
Sri Lankans will cast ballots in a snap parliamentary election on Thursday, months after electing a Marxist-leaning president in the Indian island nation’s first election since the 2022 economic meltdown and political crisis.
The election was called by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who won the September election after blaming the country’s traditional ruling elite for the economic collapse that led to the country defaulting on its loans.
Political analysts predict that Dissanayake’s NPP would win a majority, having gained popularity since the presidential election.
“The NPP is almost certain to do well – the only question is how well. Most observers – and the limited polls available – suggest they will win a majority,” Keenan, from the International Crisis Group, said.
The NPP’s win in the presidential election was a result of the fact that “the entire political class has been discredited by the economic crisis and the resulting struggle that ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022.
Nearly two-thirds of former MPs chose not to run for re-election, including prominent members of the former ruling Rajapaksa dynasty. Results are expected on Friday.
Sri Lanka’s 17.1 million registered voters had to choose from more than 8,800 candidates in an election marked by a low-key campaign. Election monitors estimated turnout at 60-65%.
Out of 225 seats in the parliament, 196 MPs will be directly elected. The rest will be nominated by parties based on the percentage of votes they get in what is known as proportional representation.
