News
Parliamentary polls show unity among ethnic, religious groups, but weaker opposition
By SHIHAR ANEEZ
ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election results showed unity among the island nation’s different ethnic and religious people in backing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s request for a clean parliament, but a weaker opposition that could threaten the country’s fragile democracy.
President Dissanayake’s Marxists Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led ruling National People’s Power (NPP) recorded a landslide victory, winning 159 seats in the 225-member parliament.
The election saw ethnic majority Sinhalese along with minority Tamils and Muslims voting for the NPP, which campaigned for “Fill parliament with compass”.
Compass is the symbol of NPP.
For the first time in history, Sri Lanka saw all Tamil-dominated Northern districts and Muslim-dominated Eastern districts backing the NPP as much as Sinhalese-dominated Southern districts.
Dissanayake’s leadership marked a pivotal shift in Sri Lanka’s political landscape, bringing hope of unity to the nation long divided by ethnic tensions, analysts say.
His campaign for reforms, economic recovery, equitable governance, and social justice has united the country’s different ethnicities around a shared vision.
However, the move has inadvertently weakened the opposition, setting a precedent that may shape Sri Lankan politics for years amid threats to the island nation’s fragile democracy.
The NPP is the first party to have won two-third majority under proportional representation (PR) system since it was implemented in 1989.
Both former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa (2010-2015) and his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa (2020-2022) secured two-third majority with the support of other minority political parties in the parliament.
However, Sri Lanka has experienced weaker opposition and democracy when there had been two-third majority in the parliament in the past.
Mahinda Rajapaksa government removed a chief justice when his government’s poverty alleviation programme was resisted and removed the limit for presidential term using the special majority. His administration also weakened independent institutions through a constitutional amendment.
His brother Gotabaya’s government repeated the same when he had the special majority before he was forced to flee the country in the face of mass protests in 2022.
Diverse Sri Lankan communities see President Dissanayake’s political dialogue as an inclusive platform of reconciliation and genuineness.
His reputation as a tireless campaigner against corruption, social inequality, and economic mismanagement resonated widely across the ethnic divide.
Unlike many of his predecessors, who often stoked nationalist fervor to galvanize their base, Dissanayake’s campaign focused on bridging the gap between communities.
He actively engaged with historically marginalized groups, offering them a seat at the decision-making table and promising tangible reforms that prioritized social and economic equity over divisive rhetoric.
This strategy, however, did not happen in a vacuum. It was built on years of groundwork by Dissanayake’s political allies in the JVP and aligned civil society organizations.
The outreach to Tamil and Muslim communities, alongside broader progressive Sinhalese constituencies, helped craft an image of a government genuinely invested in the country’s diversity.
His government pushed initiatives for Tamil reconciliation, promoted Muslim rights without capitulating to sectarian pressures, and encouraged dialogue forums to address historic grievances.
Such inclusive politics transformed Dissanayake from a niche leftist leader into a nationally unifying figure.
However, this surge in broad-based support fragmented and weakened the opposition, the election results showed.
Traditional political rivals, including those from the center-right Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and factions of the nationalists Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), struggled to maintain their identity and relevance.
The SLPP, once a dominant nationalist force in the last parliamentary polls, found itself unable to pivot from its prior nationalist agenda to compete in the new political climate. It won only three seats in the parliament.
With Dissanayake championing unity, moderate opposition leaders appeared less distinct and failed to capture public attention or differentiate themselves from the President’s transformative platform.
This weakened opposition landscape was further marred by internal divisions and ineffective coalition-building.
Efforts to unite disparate groups against the President’s coalition floundered, primarily due to lack of a cohesive vision and internal power struggles.
Some factions resorted to the familiar playbook of ethnic polarization, but these messages fell flat against Dissanayake’s genuine outreach and the tangible benefits his policies began to deliver.
Younger voters, especially, gravitated toward his more inclusive, reformist agenda, leaving traditional parties scrambling for relevance.
The consequence was a fragmented and weakened opposition, unable to pose a significant challenge to Dissanayake’s dominance.
Political analysts are of the view that such consolidation of power comes with risks.A diminished opposition risks undermining democratic accountability, leading to potential policy stagnation, and less effective checks on executive power.
As President Dissanayake’s administration continues its reform agenda, the challenge will be maintaining the balance between unity and power consolidation, ensuring the pluralism that elevated him to power does not give way to political complacency.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that addressing the drug issue in the country must be treated as a national priority, highlighting that it must deliver results at the ground level.
A meeting to brief the Prime Minister on the National Strategic Plan for the Management, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Persons with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) 2026–2030 was held with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Health and Mass Media and other key stakeholders on 13th of March at the Temple Trees.
The discussion focused on the proposed national strategy developed to address the growing health, social and economic challenges associated with substance use disorders in Sri Lanka. The strategic plan aims to strengthen prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services through a coordinated and evidence-based national approach.
During the meeting, attention was drawn to existing gaps in early identification of substance use disorders, continuity of care, community-based follow-up and reintegration of recovering individuals into society. The plan proposes several key interventions, including strengthening screening and symptomatic treatment at primary healthcare and outpatient levels, improving hospital-based treatment and follow-up services, expanding residential rehabilitation facilities, and enhancing community-based rehabilitation and relapse prevention programmes.
Special emphasis has also been placed on providing targeted support for vulnerable groups, including children and adolescents, pregnant women, mothers with children and prison inmates.
Speaking on the importance of strengthening the national response to drug issues, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya noted that the drug menace has evolved into a serious social crisis that threatens social stability and security of families and the nation as a whole highlighting that law enforcement and rehabilitation in this regard must be given equal priority.
The Prime Minister further underscored the importance of including public awareness initiatives and responsible media reporting as key components of the national strategy.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Anil Jasinghe, officials from the Department of Prisons, Bureau of Rehabilitation, Sri Lanka Police Ministry of health, Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Justice and National Integration ,Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and other relevant department and ministries.
[Prime minister’s Media Division]
In light of the prevailing geopolitical developments in Middle East, the petroleum product supply chain has been adversely affected. At the same time, the demand for fuel has increased abnormally, resulting in a depletion of the country’s existing fuel stock. Therefore, it has become necessary to carefully manage the available fuel reserves in order to sustain the nation’s economic activities.
Furthermore, it has recently been observed that certain groups have been illegally purchasing fuel in excessive quantities. The Government of Sri Lanka intends to prevent such improper consumption and ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply for the day-to-day needs and economic activities of the general public.
Accordingly, a QR code system will be implemented with effect from 06.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026.
Fuel will not be issued by any operating filling station in the country without a valid QR code from 06.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026.
Steps to Obtain the QR Code
- Users who have already registered for the QR Code
- Users whose vehicle ownership and registered mobile number remain unchanged since their initial registration may download their QR Code from the website https://fuelpass.gov.lk/ starting from midnight on 14.03.2026, using the ‘Vehicle Login’ button.
- Users whose vehicle ownership or registered mobile number has changed since their last registration are required to re-register their details through the website https://fuelpass.gov.lk/ starting from 6.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026, using the ‘Vehicle Registration’ button.
- Users who have not previously registered for the QR Code and users with newly registered vehicles at
the RMV - Registration can be completed starting from 06.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026 through the
website https://fuelpass.gov.lk/, using the ‘Vehicle Registration’ button.
The number of litres allocated for each category of vehicle is stated below.
A special fuel issuance system will be implemented for vehicles required to support national production and essential services.
| Vehicle Class | Capacity control volume for fuel pass
(L) |
| Buses | 60 |
| Motor cycle | 5 |
| Van | 40 |
| Motor car | 15 |
| Motor Lorry | 200 |
| Land Vehicles | 25 |
| Three Wheeler | 15 |
| Special Purpose Vehicle | 40 |
| Quadricycle | 5 |
[Sri Lanka Transport Board will issue fuel to the private buses].
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) on Friday said the largest groundwater source discovered in Sri Lanka so far had been identified during tube-well drilling near the Pitabeddara Police Station.
Indrajith Gamage, geologist in charge of the Southern Province, said the source recorded a continuous flow of about 10,000 litres (10 cubic metres) per minute, marking the first instance in the country where a groundwater source of that magnitude had been found.
He noted that the previous largest groundwater source was discovered in the Madhu area, which recorded a flow of about 7,000 litres per minute.
According to the NWSDB, the tube well was drilled following geological studies of rock layers and the identification of underground water through fractures in rock strata using specialised technical instruments.
The Board said steps would be taken to distribute water from the newly discovered source to residents facing shortages in Pitabeddara, Morawaka and surrounding areas.
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Addressing the drug issue in the country must be treated as a national priority – PM
QR code system will be implemented for fuel with effect from 06.00 a.m. today (15th)
Showers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts after 2.00 pm.
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