Sri Lanka General Election 2020

← 2015General election 2020

(Share of votes in%)

 %

60

50

40

30th

20th

10

0

59.09

23.90

3.84

2.82

2.15

8.20

SLPP ^a

SJB ^b

JVP

TNA

UNP

Otherwise.

Gains and losses

compared to 2015

 % p

 60

 55

 50

 45

 40

 35

 30th

 25th

 20th

 15th

 10

   5

   0

  -5

-10

-15

-20

-25

-30

-35

-40

-45

+59.09

+23.90

-1.03

-1.80

-43.51

-36.65

SLPP ^a

SJB ^b

JVP

TNA

UNP

Otherwise.

Remarks:

^a The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna was founded in 2016 mainly by former SLFP supporters.

^b The Samagi Jana Balawegaya formed in February 2020 mainly as a split from the UNP.

      

A total of 225 seats

• SLPP : 145
• JVP : 3
• ITAK : 10
• Otherwise: 12
• UNP : 1
• SJB : 54

The 2020 parliamentary election in Sri Lanka took place on August 5, 2020. The election was initially scheduled for April 25, 2020 as an early election. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the election date has been postponed. The election was marked by the almost complete disappearance of Sri Lanka's two traditional major parties, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). In the last election in 2015, they received almost 90% of the votes. They were replaced by two parties that were newly founded in 2018 and 2020, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The election was won with an absolute majority by the SLPP under Mahinda Rajapaksa .

prehistory

For a longer history, see Presidential Election in Sri Lanka 2019 # Developments since the last election

In the last general election in 2015 , the United National Party (UNP) won an absolute majority. President Maithripala Sirisena ( SLFP ), who was also newly elected in 2015 with the support of the UNP , then appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe (UNP) as the new Prime Minister. With the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 2015, President Sirisena and the government implemented a key election promise. This constitutional amendment transferred essential powers that had previously rested with the president to the parliament and the prime minister, thereby transforming Sri Lanka from a presidential democracy into a parliamentary democracy . The President and Prime Minister initially worked well together. In the period that followed, however, differences arose, culminating in the President's temporary dismissal of the Prime Minister in 2018. This partially paralyzed government work and the government's original reform program came to a standstill.

The presidential election on November 16, 2019 won the opposition candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa ( Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna , SLPP). This created a conflict between the president on the one hand and the UNP government and the UNP-dominated parliament on the other. On the part of the president and the opposition SLPP, a new parliamentary election was sought. According to the Sri Lankan constitution, the parliament could not dissolve itself until 4½ years after its election. In this case it was February 2020. A two-thirds majority was necessary for the self-dissolution, which none of the parties represented in parliament had. At a meeting of the UNP parliamentary group on November 18, 2019, it decided that it would support an early dissolution of parliament in order to clarify the political situation. On November 20, 2019, Wickremesinghe resigned from his post as Prime Minister. As a result, the newly elected president named his brother, SLPP party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the new prime minister the following day .

Election date

On December 4, 2019, the chairman of the Sri Lankan Electoral Commission proposed three dates on which the parliamentary elections could take place if the parliament was dissolved by March 1, 2020: April 25, 27 or 28, 2020. March 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolved the parliament and set the new election for April 25, 2020.

In view of the uncertain situation due to the worldwide developing COVID-19 pandemic, from which Sri Lanka was relatively little affected, the Sri Lankan electoral commission announced on March 19, 2020 that the election date of April 25, 2020 would be postponed by at least 2 weeks. An exact alternative date was initially not announced. The postponement of the election date threatened a constitutional conflict. According to Article 70 of the Sri Lankan constitution, a newly elected parliament must meet no later than three months after the dissolution of parliament, in this case no later than June 2, 2020. A parliamentary election should therefore have taken place by the end of May 2020 at the latest. The electoral commission stated at the beginning of April 2020 that this was hardly possible under the given circumstances.

An all-party conference convened by the election commission on May 11, 2020 ended without an agreement. The party representatives could not agree on an election date and the view was expressed that an election campaign would not be possible under the conditions of the current curfew. The election date was postponed from April 25, 2020, which was initially planned, to June 20, 2020, but the election commission declared that it would not be able to keep this date either. On June 2, 2020, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court rejected objections to the postponement of the election date. On June 10, 2020, the electoral commission set August 5, 2020 as the election date.

Special rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic

On July 18, 2020, guidelines and regulations on how to hold the election and campaign were published. Accordingly, only events with a maximum of 300 (500 for political parties or comparable groups) participants were allowed during the election campaign. The personal data of the participants had to be registered, washing facilities had to be available at the venue, every participant had to wash their hands, a distance of one meter between the participants had to be maintained and all participants had to wear protective masks. The same rules applied to voting at the polling station. House-to-house election advertising was only allowed in groups of no more than five people.

Election mode

→ Main article : Elections in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Parliament consists of 225 members. 29 members of parliament are chosen from nationwide lists based on the proportion of votes cast by the parties. The remaining 196 MPs are elected in 22 electoral districts , which are largely identical to the administrative districts of Sri Lanka . In each constituency a certain number of members is elected according to the proportional representation according to the voting share of the respective parties and there is a 5 percent threshold. The voters have the opportunity to change the order on the ballot so that the candidates in the first places on the party list do not necessarily win the race. Compared to the last election in 2015, the constituency (district) of Matara lost one MP and the constituency (district) of Moneragala gained one due to the change in the number of voters . All other constituency weights remained unchanged. Before the election, a total of 70 parties were registered with the Sri Lankan election commission, all of which were given simple election symbols.

Candidate selection and registration, parties

Candidate nominations could be made from March 12th to 19th, 2020. A total of 7,452 candidates registered, 3,652 of them from registered and recognized political parties and 3,800 non-party or independent. A total of 313 independent (unregistered and recognized) groups ran for competition.

Since Sri Lankan suffrage is very much in favor of large parties, it is common for smaller parties to join larger parties to form electoral associations, which formally compete as registered political parties. The candidates of these smaller parties then compete under the symbols of the larger parties and are allocated promising list positions from them.

What was remarkable about the current election was the fact that the two major parties that had set the political tone in Sri Lanka since independence and had alternated in government, the United National Party (UNP) , founded in 1946, and Sri Lanka, founded in 1951 Freedom Party (SLFP), this time strongly pushed into the background by the founding of parties or splits. Some commentators even spoke of the end of the classic two-party system UNP versus SLFP in Sri Lanka. The political weight of the SLFP had already declined sharply since the pro-Rajapaksa wing split off and was formed as Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) in 2016. At the UNP, the rivalry between party chairman Ranil Wickremesinghe and his deputy Sajith Premadasa turned out to be fatal for effective opposition work. Before the last parliamentary election in 2015, a new party, the United National Front for Good Governance, was founded with the participation of the UNP , which served as a common reservoir for all Rajapaksa opponents. On February 10, 2020, Sajith Premadasa founded Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) with the approval of the UNP leadership, which was supposed to serve the same purpose. Several smaller parties joined the SJB, but the Wickremesinghe wing of UNP supporters stayed away from them. Ultimately, the UNP and the SJB nominated candidates independently of each other, so that the UNP was effectively divided.

The party groups that ran under the banner of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the last election ran this time under the symbols of the SLPP or in some districts of the SLFP. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) joined forces with other politically like-minded people to form the Jathika Jana Balawegaya ( National People's Power ). Part of the JVP ran separately on the Frontline Socialist Party lists .

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a coalition of Sri Lankan Tamil parties, nominated candidates in the constituencies of Vanni, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara, but in favor of the Tamil Progressive Alliance did not nominate candidates in the constituencies of Colombo and Gampaha. The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), the largest party organization of the Indian Tamils , joined the Samagi Jana Balawegaya of Sajith Premadasa.

• Top candidates
• 

  Ranil Wickremesinghe ( UNP )
• 

  Mahinda Rajapaksa ( SLPP )
• 

  Sajith Premadasa ( SJB )
• 

  Anura Kumara Dissanayake ( JVP )
• 

  R. Sampanthan ( TNA )

Results

Overall result

The nationwide voter turnout decreased slightly compared to the 2015 election and was 75.90%.

Total cumulative result

Party / electoral alliance		Abbreviation	be right	%	Seats
					nationwide	Constituencies	total
	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	SLPP	6,853,693	59.09	17th0	1280	14500
	Samagi Jana Balawegaya	SJB	2,771,984	23.90	7th	47	540
	Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as Jathika Jana Balawegaya	JVP / JJB	445,958	3.84	1	2	3
	Tamil National Alliance as Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi	TNA / ITAK	327.168	2.82	1	9	100
	United National Party	UNP	249,435	2.15	1	-	1
	All the rest together		555,560	8.20	2	10	120
Total valid votes			11,598,929	100.0	29	196	22500
Invalid or empty ballot papers (as a percentage of those submitted)			744,373 (6.03%)
Total votes cast (turnout)			12,343,302 (75.89%)
Registered voters			16,263,885

Results by constituency

Constituency	Valid votes	Seats	SLPP		SJB		JJB		ITAK		UNP		Other		Wahlbe- pation
			%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats
Colombo	1,182,776	19th	57.04	12	32.73	6th	5.72	1	-	-	2.61	-	1.90	-	73.94
Gampaha	1,228,474	18th	65.76	13	23.27	4th	5.03	1	-	-	2.30	-	3.64	-	73.01
Kalutara	700.256	10	64.08	8th	24.56	2	4.77	-	-	-	2.35	-	4.24	-	76.79
Mahanuwara	812,578	12	58.76	8th	28.86	4th	2.83	-	-	-	2.34	-	7.21	-	77.02
Matale	288.073	5	65.53	4th	25.67	1	2.62	-	-	-	2.29	-	3.89	-	76.69
Nuwara Eliya	422,977	8th	54.47	5	31.21	3	1.19	-	-	-	3.07	-	9.97	-	80.49
bile	610.052	9	70.54	7th	18.93	2	4.91	-	-	-	3.11	-	2.51	-	74.43
Matara	478.379	7th	73.63	6th	15.21	1	7.76	-	-	-	1.60	-	1.80	-	75.95
Hambantota	374.017	7th	75.10	6th	13.84	1	8.39	-	-	-	1.34	-	1.33	-	79.68
Jaffna	359.130	7th	-	-	3.78	-	0.24	-	31.46	3	1.82	-	62.70	4th	68.92
Vanni	207,837	6th	20.46	1	18.23	1	0.32	-	33.64	3	0.63	-	26.72	1	39.60
Batticaloa	298.012	5	11.22	1	9.52	-	0.12	-	26.66	2	0.28	-	52.20	2	76.83
Digamadulla	385.997	7th	32.65	3	26.50	2	1.31	-	6.54	-	1.67	-	31.33	2	78.28
Trincomalee	212.992	4th	32.25	1	40.56	2	1.05	-	18.58	1	0.83	-	6.73	-	78.62
Kurunegala	971.243	15th	66.92	11	25.21	4th	3.74	-	-	-	2.76	-	1.37	-	75.45
Puttalam	385.221	8th	57.26	5	20.81	2	2.58	-	-	-	2.58	-	16.77	1	67.47
Anuradhapura	506.902	9	67.95	7th	23.63	2	4.83	-	-	-	1.63	-	1.96	-	78.19
Polonnauwa	245,519	5	73.66	4th	19.46	1	2.77	-	-	-	2.66	-	1.45	-	78.99
Badulla	498,795	9	62.06	6th	28.93	3	3.87	-	-	-	1.84	-	3.30	-	80.43
Monaragala	280,885	6th	74.12	5	19.28	1	4.07	-	-	-	1.24	-	1.29	-	80.93
Ratnapura	648.614	11	68.86	8th	24.01	3	2.72	-	-	-	1.98	-	2.43	-	77.38
Kegalle	500.207	9	66.29	7th	26.25	2	2.81	-	-	-	2.43	-	2.22	-	76.70
Overall result	11,203,798	196	59.09	128	23.90	47	3.84	2	2.82	9	2.15	-	8.20	10	75.90
Source: Sri Lankan Electoral Commission

1. ↑ Of Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC) 15.4%, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) 13.75%, Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) 12.75%, Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) 10.0%.
2. ↑ Thereof AITC 1, SLFP 1, EPDP 1, TMTK 1.
3. ↑ Thereof EPDP 5.44%, Social Democratic Party of Tamils ​​(SDPT) 10%.
4. ↑ Thereof EPDP 1.
5. ↑ Of Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) 22.71%, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) 11.55%, United Peace Alliance (UPA) 10%.
6. ↑ Thereof TMVP 1, SLMC 1.
7. ↑ Thereof All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) 11.22%, National Congress (NC) 10.08%.
8. ↑ Thereof ACMC 1, NC 1.
9. ↑ Thereof Muslim National Alliance (MNA) 14.53%.
10. ↑ of which MNA 1.

Voting cards

• 

  Strongest parties in the 22 constituencies: SLPP SJB ITAK
  
  
  

• 

  Majorities in the 160 constituencies: SLPP SJB ITAK SLFP EPDP Others
  
  
  
  
  
  

rating

The election result meant a radical change in party political conditions in Sri Lanka. The traditional two-party system of UNP and SLFP was replaced by a new two-party system consisting of the successor parties SJB and SLPP. The SLPP under Mahinda Rajapaksa, of which President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also belongs, won 145 of 225 seats in parliament (64.4%) and thus just missed the two-thirds majority (150 seats) required for constitutional amendments. However, at least four smaller parties represented in the new parliament had announced that they wanted to work with the SLPP government in the future, so that the future government will presumably have a constitution-changing majority. Overall, election observers expected the SLPP to win, but mostly not to this extent. Critics of the Rajapaksa family clan have expressed fears that the strong concentration of power in the hands of one family could erode the independence of state institutions in Sri Lanka. In particular, the powers of the Provincial Councils ( provincial councils ) as organs of local self-government could be restricted, which would affect mainly the regional autonomy of minority Tamils again.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Parliamentary Election Results - 2020. Website of the Sri Lankan Electoral Commission, accessed on August 9, 2020 (English). 
2. ↑ ^{a b} All Island Results - Cumulative , on election.adaderana.lk
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Sri Lanka's parliamentary elections fixed for August 5. Newsfirst.lk, June 10, 2020, accessed on June 28, 2020 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Sri Lanka Parliament dissolved, General Election on April 25th ColomboPage, March 2, 2020, accessed on March 12, 2020 (English). 
5. ↑ ^{a b} General Elections postponed. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), March 20, 2020, accessed March 20, 2020 . 
6. ^ Ruling party parliamentarians agree to dissolve Sri Lanka parliament. Colombo Page, November 18, 2019, accessed December 1, 2019 . 
7. ^ Election Chief suggests three dates for General Election. ColomboPage, December 4, 2019, accessed January 1, 2020 . 
8. ↑ Sri Lanka parliamentary elections in constitutional impasse over coronavirus pandemic. Daily FT, April 3, 2020, accessed April 7, 2020 . 
9. ^ All-party meeting to decide on Lanka polls remains inconclusive. The Week / PTI, May 13, 2020, accessed on May 13, 2020 . 
10. ↑ Lakdev Liyanagama: Awaiting the new date for the election. Daily News (Sri Lanka), June 4, 2020, accessed June 28, 2020 . 
11. ↑ Extraordinary Gazette Notification on health guidelines for General Election 2020 issued. Colombo Page, July 18, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020 . 
12. ^ The Electoral System. Sri Lankan Parliament website, accessed August 8, 2020 . 
13. ↑ SRI LANKA Parliament. Inter-parliamentary Union, February 3, 2016, accessed February 1, 2020 . 
14. ^ Allocation of MPs for upcoming general election. Newsfirst Sri Lanka, November 12, 2018, accessed February 1, 2020 . 
15. ^ The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka - Extraordinarily (Ed.): PART I: SECTION (I) - GENERAL: Government Notifications: PARLIMENTARY ELECTION - 2019 . No. 2096/73 , November 10, 2018 (English, pdf ).
16. ^ Name of Recognized Political Parties, Approved symbols, and the list of and Names, Address & Relephone Numbers of the Secretary of each Party. Sri Lankan Electoral Commission, accessed July 18, 2020 . 
17. ↑ Sugeeswara Senadhira: August 5 death bell for once-premier two national parties. Asian Tribune, July 12, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020 . 
18. ↑ Are UNP and SLFP heading for virtual extinction? News in Asia, March 4, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020 . 
19. ↑ DBS Jeyaraj: How Will the TNA fare at Parliamentary Election? Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), March 24, 2020, accessed July 28, 2020 . 
20. ^ Tamil Progressive Alliance to contest Parliament polls with Sajith. Colombo Gazette, January 10, 2020, accessed July 28, 2020 . 
21. ↑ Overall voter turnout is 70% , on dailynews.lk
22. ^ The party of Sri Lanka's President Rajapaksa wins parliamentary elections by a huge margin. Deutsche Welle, August 7, 2020, accessed on August 8, 2020 . 
23. ↑ Krishan Francis / AP : Rajapaksa brothers win by landslide in Sri Lanka's election. The Washington Post, August 7, 2020, accessed August 8, 2020 .