Rajapaksa brothers win election by landslide
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa brothers secured a landslide victory in the country’s parliamentary election, according to results released on Friday.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is most likely to be sworn in the same position by his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The results could enable them to change the constitution and strengthen dynastic rule.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa leaves after casting his vote, outside a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday.Credit:AP
"Sri Lanka People's Front has secured a resounding victory according to official results released so far," Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a Twitter post. "It is my belief the expectation to have a Parliament that will enable the implementation of my ‘vision for prosperity’ policy will be reality tomorrow," he wrote.
The Rajapaksas' Front won 128 seats out of the total 196 while its main opponent obtained only 47 seats, the election commissions' results showed.
The Parliament has 225 seats, of which 196 members are directly elected and 29 are named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group.
Sri Lankan government soldiers stand guard at the entrance to a ballot counting centre in Colombo on Thursday.Credit:AP
The Rajapaksas’ party will get more seats from the national list, due to be announced later on Friday.
The brothers need 150 seats or control of two-thirds of Parliament to change the constitution. 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.
Sri Lanka had been ruled by powerful executive presidents since 1978, but a 2015 constitutional amendment strengthened Parliament and the prime minister and put independent commissions in charge of judiciary appointments, police, public services and elections.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, left, and his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa wave to supporters during a party convention n Colombo last year.Credit:AP
Gotabaya was elected president last November after projecting himself as the only leader who could secure the country after the Islamic State-inspired bombings of churches and hotels that killed 269 people on Easter Sunday. Since being elected, he has said he had to function under many restrictions because of the constitutional changes.
However, Mahinda Rajapaksa is unlikely to cede any of his powers and shrink his influence as he works on promoting his son Namal as 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 landslide victory also raises fears of weakening government institutions such as independent commissions for elections, police and public service.
More than 70 per cent of more than 16 million eligible voters cast ballots following health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The election was originally scheduled for April, but it was twice postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka has largely contained the spread of the virus with 2839 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths.
Sri Lankans queue while social distancing outside a polling station in Colombo on Wednesday.Credit:AP
AP