SLPP wins record-breaking 145 seats

• It is in a position to muster a two-thirds majority in Parliament

By Kelum Bandara 

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) secured a record-breaking 145 seats at Wednesday’s general election as a single political party under proportional representation system. The party is also in a position to muster a two-thirds majority in Parliament with its allies in the north and the east winning five seats.  

The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) which contested on its own in the north and the east secured two seats each from Jaffna and Wanni while the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) won one seat in Jaffna while the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulihal and the National Congress won two seats each from Batticaloa and Digamadulla. 

  
The United National Party (UNP) was relegated to fifth place in terms of the number of seats. It secured only one seat on the National List suffering the worst ever defeat for the party. There are only two Tamils and one Muslim candidates elected on the SLPP ticket whereas some 20 such candidates were elected on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) ticket. The party came second at the election with 54 seats. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who represented Parliament for 40 years was one of those to be defeated.   

Jathika Jana Balawegaya led by the JVP ended up with three seats including one National List slot. The JVP enjoyed six seats in the outgoing Parliament. The TNA which had 16 seats in the previous Parliament received only ten seats this time.   Former Northern Province chief minister C.V. Wigneswaran’s Tamil Makkal Desai Kooteny and the Ahila Ilankai Makkal Congress led by former MP Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam got two seats each from the Jaffna district.   

The new Parliament will meet on August 20 under the stipulated health guidelines.   

• The UNP was relegated to fifth place in terms of the number of seats. It secured only one seat on the National List suffering the worst ever defeat