The Sri Lankan people have given a thumping two-thirds majority in parliament to a once-fringe party whose founder was killed by the state—the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)—and its coalition, the National People’s Power (NPP). This marks a clear shift in direction for Sri Lanka since the JVP, which has never been in power before, has often spoken about common people’s rights and claimed that the party was led by communist ideals. This is the first time a single combination has achieved a brute majority under the proportional representation system.
The JVP-led coalition has gone from three seats in the last parliament to an unprecedented super-majority in the tenth parliament. The NPP is expected to gain 160 seats in all, including those allocated through proportional representation. Its nearest rival, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), is expected to win just over 40 seats.
This means that Sajith Premadasa, the SJB leader, could continue as Leader of the Opposition. The largest Tamil party, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), is expected to get a total of six seats, and the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe -led New Democratic Front, a mere four. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party, which had a majority in the outgoing parliament after winning the 2020 election, has been reduced to two seats.
In his campaign across the island, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appealed to the people for a two-thirds majority in parliament so that he could implement h.