Sri Lanka is set to vote in a crucial general election this week, following a snap decision by newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to dissolve parliament and seek a fresh mandate for his economic reforms. Elected in September, Dissanayake, the leader of the Marxist-oriented National People's Power (NPP) coalition, is pushing for legislative support to tackle the island nation’s ongoing financial crisis and to implement a series of reforms aimed at economic recovery.
Dissanayake, a political outsider challenging decades of family-led governance, emerged victorious on a wave of popular support promising transparency, economic stabilization, and an end to corruption. He now seeks to strengthen the position of the NPP, which currently holds only three of the 225 seats in parliament. Addressing supporters at a recent rally, he emphasized the need to "build a powerful people's movement" across the nation, adding that his victory marked a new chapter for a previously overlooked political faction.
Sri Lanka’s economic troubles began in 2022, fueled by a severe currency shortage that followed the COVID-19 pandemic and sparked a historic financial crisis. The country has since initiated a tentative recovery with the support of a $2.9 billion IMF bailout, though economic challenges persist, particularly due to the high cost of living. Dissanayake aims to renegotiate some IMF terms to lessen income tax burdens and boost welfare funding, a proposal that has raised investor concerns over potential delays in IMF funding and the ability to meet a primary budget surplus target of 2.3% by 2025.
The NPP faces stiff competition from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, as well as the New Democratic Front—a faction that broke away from the party of the powerful Rajapaksa family, which ruled Sri Lanka for years before being ousted during the 2022 crisis. Despite this, Dissanayake’s supporters remain optimistic, especially in regions like Hambantota, a southern district with a predominantly agricultural population.
Local resident Nilmini Kumari, who backed Dissanayake in the presidential election, voiced continued support for him and the NPP, citing challenges her family faces with living expenses that far exceed her husband’s monthly earnings. Kumari, like many others in Hambantota, hopes that the new parliament will bring change that supports ordinary citizens and improves living conditions.
Meanwhile, Namal Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been rallying support for the family’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party despite their diminished influence following the crisis-driven uprising that led to the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Namal, who garnered just 2.57% of the vote in the presidential election, expressed hope that the SLPP could reinvent itself and rebuild as a political force, appealing to a younger generation of voters.
As Sri Lankans head to the polls, the election is widely viewed as a referendum on Dissanayake’s approach to reform and an opportunity for citizens to voice their expectations for the future. The results will not only shape the nation’s immediate economic policy but will also indicate whether Sri Lanka’s political landscape is ready for a shift away from traditional power structures.