Sri Lankan president seeks party win in parliamentary election to help him push his economic reforms

Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is looking to consolidate his party’s power in Thursday’s parliamentary election to help him implement his election pledges to solve the country’s economic woes and foster good governance. Dissanayake won the presidential election on Sept. 21 in a victory that marked a rejection of the traditional political parties that have governed the island nation since its independence from British rule in 1948. However, his failure to secure more than 50% of the vote has fed concerns over his party’s outlook in the parliamentary election. His National People’s Power party must increase its votes significantly if it is to secure a minimum of 113 seats to take control of the 225-member Parliament.