NPP secures historic 159-seat supermajority in Sri Lanka

The National People’s Power (NPP), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has achieved a record-breaking victory in the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections. Securing 159 of the 225 seats, the coalition has obtained a two-thirds supermajority, the first for any single party under the country’s proportional representation system since 1977. This mandate grants the administration the legislative power required to fulfill core campaign promises, including constitutional overhauls and the potential abolition of the executive presidency.

What we know now

Following the official count by the Election Commission, the seat distribution in the 17th Parliament is as follows:

• National People’s Power (NPP): 159 seats (61.56% vote share).

• Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB): 40 seats (17.66% vote share).

• Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK): 8 seats.

• New Democratic Front (NDF): 5 seats.

• Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP): 3 seats.

The NPP's vote share increased significantly from the 42.3% obtained during the September presidential election, reflecting a consolidation of support as the electorate rejected traditional political blocs.

Key facts: A milestone in representation

The 2024 election established several milestones that signal a shift in the country's political culture:

• Cross-Ethnic Appeal: For the first time, a southern-based, non-Tamil party (NPP) won the Jaffna District, securing 3 out of 6 seats.

• Women in Parliament: A record 21 female MPs were elected, 19 of whom represent the NPP.

• New Faces: Over 150 members of the new parliament are first-time MPs, fulfilling the "clean the parliament" campaign slogan.

Context: From "Aragalaya" to the Ballot Box

The root of this landslide lies in the 2022 economic collapse and the subsequent "Aragalaya" (struggle) protest movement. The public’s loss of faith in the "old guard"—specifically the Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe administrations—created a political void that the NPP filled by framing corruption as the primary driver of the crisis. By pivoting the national narrative from ethnic polarization to an "anti-corruption versus corruption" axis, the NPP managed to gain traction in historically divided regions.

Impact: The Power of a Supermajority

With 159 seats, the government now holds the "much-vaunted" two-thirds majority necessary for constitutional amendments.

• Executive Presidency: The administration has a clear path to abolish or reform the executive presidency as promised.

• Economic Reform: The mandate provides stability to continue negotiations with the IMF, though the NPP faces pressure to mitigate austerity measures for the urban poor.

• Institutional Shift: The landslide has nearly "wiped out" the once-dominant SLPP, shrinking their presence from 145 seats in 2020 to just three.

What happens next

The 17th Parliament convened in late November 2024, with Harini Amarasuriya continuing as Prime Minister. The immediate focus remains on the 2026 fiscal budget and addressing "structural bottlenecks" in the bureaucracy. However, delayed Provincial Council elections—not held since 2017—remain a point of contention for minority groups in the North and East.

Bigger signal

The NPP’s victory represents a "system change," but the concentration of power in a single coalition brings inherent strategic risks. While the absence of major scandals has maintained initial goodwill, any perception of "democratic backsliding" or a failure to reform draconian security laws like the PTA could erode the mandate. For Sri Lanka, the challenge has shifted from winning power to managing the immense expectations of an electorate that has lost patience with traditional politics.

FAQ

1. How many seats are needed for a majority in Sri Lanka? 113 seats out of 225.

2. What is a supermajority? In Sri Lanka, a two-thirds majority (150 seats) allows a party to pass constitutional amendments without opposition support.

3. Who is the current Prime Minister? Harini Amarasuriya.

4. How did the NPP perform in Jaffna? The NPP won 3 out of 6 seats, making it the first non-Tamil party to win the district.

5. What happened to the Rajapaksas' party? The SLPP was reduced to just 3 seats from 145 in the previous parliament.

6. Will the executive presidency be abolished? The NPP has the required 159 seats to honor this promise, though formal proceedings have yet to conclude as of early 2026.