A total of 196 seats in the 225-member house were decided on district proportional representation while the remaining 29 were decided on the basis of votes polled nationwide.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) won 145 seats and can also count on the support of at least five allies in the 225-member legislature, according to the results released on Friday.
The SLPP’s main opponent obtained just 54 seats in Wednesday’s vote, which saw more than 75 percent of the 16.2 million eligible voters cast their ballots.
The election has left the splintered opposition decimated. The election was originally scheduled for April, but it was twice postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe lost his constituency, and his party, which had 106 seats in the outgoing parliament, was reduced to just one seat.
A breakaway faction from Wickremesinghe’s party headed by the son of assassinated President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Sajith, got 20 percent of the vote and was a distant second with 54 seats.
The moderate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which had 16 seats in the outgoing parliament, also suffered badly and was left with just 10 seats in the new assembly, which is due to sit on August 20.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is most likely to be sworn in the same position by his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa
“Sri Lanka People’s Front has secured a resounding victory according to official results released so far,” Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a Twitter message.
“It is by belief that that the expectation to have a Parliament that will enable the implementation of my ‘vision for prosperity’ policy will be reality tomorrow.”
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Reasons attributed for this resounding Victory
Sri Lanka’s opposition has accused the government of corruption, censorship and intimidation. But Opposition charge not heeded and “authoritarianism and dominance” people of Srilanka have opted for the governing party.
The reason for victory now local dailies attribute is to “The handling of coronavirus crisis by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has invoked a lot of confidence in the people in contrast with the shambles the last government made following the Easter bombing attack last year.”
The Indian Ocean Island has largely contained the spread of the novel coronavirus with 2,839 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths .
“Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of office essentially just one term ago. The previous government came to power on the promise of change but it failed miserably.
They did carry forward some constitutional reforms but ultimately, they were such a big disappointment that people of this country have gone back to the Rajapaksas.
However, analysts say any attempt by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to push for changes that will strengthen presidential power at the expense of those of the prime minister may trigger sibling rivalry.
Gotabaya was elected president last November after projecting himself as the only leader who could secure the country after bombings of churches and hotels on Easter Sunday killed 269 people in 2019.
Since being elected, he has said he had to function under many restrictions because of constitutional changes in 2015 that strengthened Parliament and the prime minister and put independent commissions in charge of judiciary appointments, police, public services and the conduct of elections
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Local Srilankan Political Pandits predictions
Critics fear the siblings renowned for their crushing of Tamil separatist rebels to end a decades-old conflict in 2009 want to end presidential term limits, bring the judiciary and police under their direct control, and extend their dynastic power to a new generation.
Mahinda Rajapaksa known for his working style is unlikely to cede any of his powers that might shrink his influence as he works on promoting his son, Namal, as his heir.
Namal and three other members of the Rajapaksa family contested the election and are likely to control key functions in the new administration.
The Crucial factor now emerge where Srilanak tilt from now on
What ever may the case Rajapaksa brothers Crucial win by landslide victory in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election could enable the president and his brother to change the constitution and boost dynastic rule his opponents fear .
With the animosity of 800 million Tamil community in India for Mahinda Rajapaksa for mass geneocide of tamils in Srilanka during the 2009 civil war and Indian PM Modi government taken a Tamil origin Jaishakar as External affairs Minister when he was elected for second term during 2019 .,
With China ability for making swift allies of countries neighbour to India a point to ponder considering the fact recently much to the irritation for India ruled by Hindutva government BJP , considering its long standing ally Hindu nation Nepal too revised their land scape and issued a new map.,
Adding to this dotted line India arch rival Pakistan too revised their map and together both Indian neighbours consumed Indian Soil specifically area not only in Bihar , Kashmir but also home state of Indian PM Modi’s Gujarat
Bangladesh arch rival to Pakistan has altered its stand after friendly overtures made Pakistan PM Imran Khan , in the current scenario with trade treaties and billion dollars sops china offer to Bangladesh , it also inclined towards China and Pakistan
Not to forget China’s incursion in to Indian soil where India not only lost 5000 Sq.Km land but also 15 of its Soldiers and 50+ wounded Soldiers ..
Not to forget In the final months of Sri Lanka’s 2015 elections, China’s ambassador broke with diplomatic norms and lobbied voters, even caddies at Colombo’s premier golf course, to support Mr. Rajapaksa over the opposition, But in that 2015 election Mahinda Rajapaksa lost that ensured a Indian friendly government taken charge.,
Not to forget but now in 2020 Mahinda Rajapaksa emerge victorious in Srilanka and Rajapaksa family relations to China and with billions of dollars investments China had not only with Srilanka in Infrastructure projects but kickbacks specifically to Mahinda Rajapaksa family did not it deemed to tilt the cart in favour of China ?! ..
