Sri Lanka Election Results Live: Counting underway as President ...
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Sri Lanka's newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reads a document after being sworn in as president at the Presidential Secretariat, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 23, 2024. Reuters
November 15, 2024, 09:18:52 (IST)
Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka said that the National People’s Power (NPP) government could definitely win the lion’s share of seats in the parliament but warned the party of impending domestic and international challenges.
The former minister alleged that the NPP hadn’t been able to realise the growing economic-political-social crisis and the daunting task of handling the economy in line with the IMF’s programme that was endorsed by the previous administration, the NPP reported.
“The NPP seems to have overestimated its capacity,” ex-lawmaker Ranawaka said. The crux of the matter is whether President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had the wherewithal to adopt what the EJP leader called a bold and radical plan of action.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. AP
November 15, 2024, 09:00:49 (IST)
The National People’s Power (NPP) won six out of 9 seats in allocated to the district in parliament while the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) won two seats and the New Democratic Front (NDF) won one seat. The figures were released by the Sri Lankan Election Commission on Friday.
November 15, 2024, 08:41:39 (IST)
According to Sri Lanka’s Election Commission, Dissanayake’s NPP won 80 seats, leading the race with 61.9 per cent votes. Meanwhile, Premadasa’s Samagi Jana Balawegaya is trailing with 18.49 per cent votes and has acquired 21 seats in the parliament as of now. The counting is still underway.
November 15, 2024, 08:32:04 (IST)
Sri Lanka is holding its first parliamentary election, called by its leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to secure a majority in parliament as the island nation struggles to recover from a crushing economic crisis.
Chanu Nimesha is the island country’s first openly transgender candidate who is vying for a seat in the parliament.
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Chanu Nimesha, 49, Sri Lanka’s first transgender candidate, running in the country’s upcoming parliamentary election, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 10, 2024. Reuters
November 15, 2024, 08:14:40 (IST)
While the snap polls remain more or less peaceful, reports are emerging that three people including a senior election officer and a police officer, who were engaged in election duties, have died on Wednesday night due to health conditions.
The office of the Deputy Inspector General of Elections said that the three officers were deployed on election duty in Kesbewa, Kobeigane and Kopay areas, Daily News reported.
The post-mortem examination of all three deceased is to be done and the police believe that they may have died due to heart problems.
November 15, 2024, 07:57:31 (IST)
Dissanayake dissolved parliament on September 24 to clear the way for the general election. The snap polls as being held on Thursday (November 14) Dissanayake failed to secure more than 50 per cent of votes.
Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) coalition had just three of 225 seats in parliament, prompting him to dissolve the legislature and seek a fresh mandate there for his policies.
In the snap election, Dissanayake hopes to win two-thirds of the legislature’s 225 seats to press ahead with reforms after the country’s economic meltdown in 2022, when then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted.
Dissanayake’s party will have to increase its votes significantly — from the 42 per cent won in the presidential election — to acquire a minimum of 113 seats to take control of the 225-member Sri Lankan parliament.
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An election official carries a ballot box next to security force personnel at a vote counting centre after the voting ended for the parliamentary election in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reuters
November 15, 2024, 07:51:51 (IST)
On the day of the snap election, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake requests all social media account holders and administrators to refrain from photographing or filming polling stations, marked ballot papers, and sharing them on social media platforms. He insisted that such actions would constitute a violation of election laws.
November 15, 2024, 07:28:39 (IST)
The NPP is also winning six out of seven seats in parliament allocated for the district. Samagi Jana Balawegaya [SJB] polled 74,475 votes to win the seventh seat.
November 15, 2024, 07:18:03 (IST)
Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) Party has won four of the five seats allocated to the Electoral District of Polonnaruwa having polled 159,010 votes. Meanwhile, Premadasa’s Samagi Jana Balawegaya won the remaining one seat.
November 15, 2024, 06:55:51 (IST)
Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL), told The Island that over 8,000 local and international election observers had been active on Thursday to monitor the polls. Hettiarachchi mentioned that 30 observers from the Asian Network for Free Elections, 10 from the Forum of Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) and three observers from the European Union were present in the country for the polls.
“The only serious concern we have is that some private companies are not granting leave for employees to cast their vote. This can especially be seen among private security firms,” he said.
November 15, 2024, 06:38:45 (IST)
Poll monitors of the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections raised alarm over the low voter turnout in the Thursday polling. Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) said that the the voter turnout at the upcoming Provincial Council and Local Government election is now expected to be lower than yesterday’s poll.
According to Sri Lankan news outlet The Island, turnout at the parliamentary election had hovered around 60 per cent across most districts, down from over 75 per cent at the 2020 general election. “One reason for the lower turnout is that it was held on a Thursday,” Gajanayake said. “Holding elections on a weekday may become the norm as it’s more convenient for many.”
“Another factor is voter fatigue, as two elections have been held back to back. “Many voters, particularly opposition supporters, feel the outcomes are already decided,” he added.
Sri Lankan police and election officials load ballot boxes and papers into buses from a distribution centre to polling stations, ahead of the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reuters
November 15, 2024, 06:12:57 (IST)
According to the latest figures released by the Sri Lankan Election Commission, Dissanayake’s NPP has managed to gain a massive lead with 62.75 per cent of voters. Meanwhile, Sanjit Premadasa’s Samagi Jana Balawegaya is trailing with 18.68 per cent votes.
Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe who received a major setback in September polls, is currently in the third position with 17.3 per cent votes.
November 15, 2024, 05:57:33 (IST)
While the counting in Sri Lankan snap elections is still underway, 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 (November 14, 2024).
Just over 17 million Sri Lankans were eligible to elect lawmakers to the 225-member parliament for a five-year term. A record 690 political parties and independent groups are in the fray across 22 electoral districts. The polls came as the country recovers from the catastrophic financial crisis.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake waves with other candidates during a public rally ahead of Thursday’s parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, November 11, 2024. Reuters
Counting of votes in the Sri Lankan snap elections is underway as the country’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake seeks to increase NPP’s power in the parliament.
Just over 17 million Sri Lankans were eligible to elect lawmakers to the 225-member parliament for a five-year term. A record 690 political parties and independent groups are in the fray across 22 electoral districts. The election became crucial as the island nation recovered from a catastrophic financial meltdown.
According to Reuters, voter turnout was about 65 per cent, and ballots were counted shortly after the polls closed on Thursday. The president, Marxist-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55, was elected in September, but his National People’s Power (NPP) coalition had just three of parliament’s 225 seats, prompting him to dissolve it and seek a fresh mandate.
A “political outsider” in a country dominated by family parties for decades, Dissanayake backs policies to fight poverty, such as bigger welfare measures, as well as battle graft. The preliminary results now show that his party is leading strongly. Hence, seeing how strong Dissanayake’s new government will be will be interesting.
With inputs from agencies.
