Elections in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka elects on the national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. Sri Lanka has a multi-party system, with two dominant political parties. All elections are administered by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.

President

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The president is directly elected for a five-year term, through a version of Instant-runoff voting in which electors rank up to three candidates, and limited to only two rounds in total. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, second and third preferences from ballots whose first preference candidate has been eliminated are used to determine the winner.[1] However, there was never an instance where a "run-off" count was needed since the introduction of directly elected president in the 1980s until the 2024 election. No candidate reached 50% in the first count in that election, so the second count was performed.

Parliament

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The Parliament has 225 members, elected for a five-year term, 196 members elected in multi-seat constituencies through proportional representation system where each party is allocated a number of seats from the quota for each district according to the proportion of the total vote that party obtains in the district. The other 29 which is called the national list are appointed by each party secretary according to the island wide proportional vote the party obtains.

Local Government

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The Local government bodies in Sri Lanka;

are elected through the mixed electoral system.

Latest elections

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2024 presidential election

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CandidatePartyFirst preferenceTotal votes
Votes%Votes%
Anura Kumara DissanayakeNational People's Power5,634,91542.315,740,17955.89
Sajith PremadasaSamagi Jana Balawegaya4,363,03532.764,530,90244.11
Ranil WickremesingheIndependent[a]2,299,76717.27
Namal RajapaksaSri Lanka Podujana Peramuna342,7812.57
P. AriyanethiranIndependent226,3431.70
Dilith JayaweeraCommunist Party of Sri Lanka122,3960.92
K. K. PiyadasaIndependent47,5430.36
D. M. BandaranayakeIndependent30,6600.23
Sarath FonsekaIndependent22,4070.17
Wijeyadasa RajapaksheNational Democratic Front21,3060.16
Anuruddha PolgampolaIndependent15,4110.12
Sarath KeerthirathneIndependent15,1870.11
K. R. KrishanArunalu People's Front13,5950.10
Suranjeewa Anoj de SilvaDemocratic United National Front12,8980.10
Priyantha WickremesingheNava Sama Samaja Party12,7600.10
Namal RajapakshaSamabima Party12,7000.10
Akmeemana Dayarathana TheroIndependent11,5360.09
Nuwan BopegeSocialist People's Forum11,1910.08
Ajantha de ZoyzaRuhunu People's Party10,5480.08
Victor Anthony PereraIndependent10,3740.08
Siripala AmarasingheIndependent9,0350.07
Siritunga JayasuriyaUnited Socialist Party8,9540.07
Battaramulle Seelarathana TheroPeople's Welfare Front6,8390.05
Abubakar Mohamed InfazDemocratic Unity Alliance6,5310.05
Pemasiri ManageIndependent5,8220.04
Mahinda DewageSocialist Party of Sri Lanka5,3380.04
Keerthi WickremeratneOur People's Power Party4,6760.04
Pani WijesiriwardenaSocialist Equality Party4,4100.03
Oshala HerathNew Independent Front4,2530.03
Roshan RanasingheIndependent4,2050.03
P. W. S. K. BandaranayakeNational Development Front4,0700.03
Ananda KularatneIndependent4,0130.03
Lalith de SilvaUnited National Freedom Front3,0040.02
Sidney JayarathnaIndependent2,7990.02
Janaka RatnayakeUnited Lanka People's Party2,4050.02
M. ThilakarajahIndependent2,1380.02
Sarath ManamendraNew Sinhala Heritage1,9110.01
A. S. P. LiyanageSri Lanka Labour Party1,8600.01
Total13,319,616100.0010,271,081100.00
Valid votes13,319,61697.8010,271,08175.41
Invalid/blank votes300,3002.203,348,83524.59
Total votes13,619,916100.0013,619,916100.00
Registered voters/turnout17,140,35479.4617,140,35479.46
Source: Election Commission of Sri Lanka [2]

2024 parliamentary election

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power alliance won 159 of the 225 seats, securing a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. This surge in the NPP's seat count from three in the previous Parliament marks a shift in Sri Lankan politics. Reports suggest that Dissanayake's campaign focused on anti-corruption, social welfare, and economic revival amidst the country's economic crisis resonated with voters.[3][4][5]

In the north and east, a decrease in support amongst Tamil and Muslim voters for traditional ethnic parties were given to be the reason for the NPP's success.[3][6]

The main opposition alliance, Sajith Premadasa's Samagi Jana Balawegaya, won 40 seats, a decrease from the previous election. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe's New Democratic Front secured 5 seats, while former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna collapsed from 145 seats in the previous election, winning 3 seats.[3][4]

National

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PartyVotes%Seats
DistrictNationalTotal±
National People's Power[b]6,863,18661.5614118159+156
Samagi Jana Balawegaya[c]1,968,71617.6635540−14
New Democratic Front[d]500,8354.49325+5
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna350,4293.14213−97
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi257,8132.31718+8
Sarvajana Balaya[e]178,0061.60011+1
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress87,0380.78213+2
United Democratic Voice83,4880.75000New
United National Party66,2340.591010
Democratic Tamil National Alliance[f]65,3820.59101New
Democratic Left Front50,8360.460000
Democratic National Alliance45,4190.41000New
Tamil National People's Front[g]39,8940.361010
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal34,4400.31000−1
All Ceylon Makkal Congress33,9110.301010
People's Struggle Alliance[h]29,6110.270000
Eelam People's Democratic Party28,9850.26000−2
Jaffna – Independent Group 1730,6370.27101+1
National Democratic Front25,4440.230000
United National Alliance22,5480.20000New
Sri Lanka Labour Party17,7100.16101+1
Devana Parapura16,9500.15000New
Thamizh Makkal Koottani13,2950.12000New
Jana Setha Peramuna12,7430.110000
National Front for Good Governance8,4470.08000New
United National Freedom Front7,7960.07000New
Arunalu Peoples Alliance7,6660.07000New
New Independent Front7,1820.06000New
National People's Party6,3070.060000
Our Power of People's Party6,0430.05000−1
Tamil United Liberation Front5,0610.050000
Democratic United National Front4,4800.040000
Samabima Party4,4490.04000New
Patriotic People's Power3,9850.04000New
Eros Democratic Front2,8650.03000New
Democratic Unity Alliance2,1980.020000
Socialist Party of Sri Lanka2,0870.020000
Jathika Sangwardhena Peramuna1,9200.020000
United Socialist Party1,8380.020000
Socialist Equality Party8640.010000
Freedom People's Front8410.01000New
United Peace Alliance8220.010000
Lanka Janatha Party7590.01000New
Eksath Lanka Podujana Pakshaya6590.01000New
Liberal Democratic Party6350.01000New
Nawa Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya6010.01000New
Nava Sama Samaja Party4910.00000New
Akhila Ilankai Tamil Mahasabha4500.000000
Democratic Party2830.00000New
Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya2690.00000New
Independents245,4582.200000
Total11,148,006100.00196292250
Valid votes11,148,00694.35
Invalid/blank votes667,2405.65
Total votes11,815,246100.00
Registered voters/turnout17,140,35468.93
Source: Election Commission of Sri Lanka[7]

District

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Districts won by NPP
Districts won by ITAK

Seat changes

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List of MPs who lost their seat

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District Incumbent Held since
Party Member Offices held
Kurunegala SLPP[i] Johnston Fernando[8] Minister of Highways 2000

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Member of the United National Party officially running as independent, endorsed by the UNP and SLPP breakaway faction
  2. ^ Including the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
  3. ^ Alliance consisting of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (which contested separately in one district, Ampara), the Freedom People's Congress, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Dayasiri wing), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (which contested separately in two districts, Ampara and Batticaloa), and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (consisting of the National Union of Workers, the United Progressive Alliance, the Democratic People's Front and the Up-Country People's Front).
  4. ^ Alliance consisting of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (which contested under the symbol of the United National Party in Nuwara Eliya), the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, the National Unity Alliance, the National Congress, the New Lanka Freedom Party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Nimal wing), the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (pro-Ranil wing), and the United National Party.
  5. ^ Alliance consisting of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the Democratic Left Front, the Independent MPs Forum, the Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya and the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya.
  6. ^ Alliance consisting of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam and the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization.
  7. ^ The Tamil National People's Front contested under the name and symbol of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress.
  8. ^ Alliance consisting of the Frontline Socialist Party and the New Democratic Marxist–Leninist Party.
  9. ^ Originally elected for the United National Party.

References

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  1. ^ "IFES Election Guide | Elections: Sri Lanka Pres Jan 2010". www.electionguide.org. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  2. ^ *For Presidential election results: "Presidential Election Results – 2024". Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 22 September 2024. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Warawita, Pamodi (15 November 2024). "Sri Lankan Leader's Leftist Coalition Wins Elections". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Francis, Krishan; Mallawarachi, Bharatha (15 November 2024). "Party of Sri Lanka's new Marxist-leaning president wins two-thirds majority in parliament". AP News. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  5. ^ "A resounding victory: On the Sri Lankan election result". The Hindu. 16 November 2024. Archived from the original on 16 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  6. ^ Wipulasena, Aanya (16 November 2024). "'Need a change': Sri Lanka's leftist win sparks hopes, bridges old divides". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b * For a comprehensive list of election results: "Parliamentary Election 2024 Results". Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 15 November 2024. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  8. ^ "2024 Parliament Election results : Sri Lanka's NPP confirms 2/3rds majority (LIVE)". Newswire. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
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