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National People’s Power (NPP) win two-thirds majority in parliament, with 159 seats
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) coaliton scored a two-thirds majority in parliament by winning 159 seats at Thursdays [14] parliamentary election.
Dissanayake, who was elected in September, needed a clear majority to deliver his promise to combat corruption and restore stability after the island’s worst-ever economic crisis.
The high cost of living was one of the key issues for many voters.
Analysts had expected the NPP to do well in the elections but what remained to be determined was the margin of victory, and whether it would get the two-thirds majority it wanted to be able to pass its ambitious reforms.
In the outgoing assembly, Dissanayake’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party, which now leads the NPP, had just three seats.
The 55-year-old earlier told reporters that he believed this was “a crucial election that will mark a turning point in Sri Lanka”.
Sajith Premadasa, the man Dissanayake defeated in the presidential elections, led the opposition alliance.
Dissanayake called for snap elections shortly after he became president to seek a fresh mandate to pursue his policies. There was “no point continuing with a parliament that is not in line with what the people want”, he had said.
Nearly two-thirds of former MPs had chosen not to run for re-election, including prominent members of the former ruling Rajapaksa dynasty.
Out of the 225 seats in the parliament, 196 MPs were directly elected. The rest were nominated by parties based on the percentage of votes they get in what is known as proportional representation.
High inflation, food and fuel shortages precipitated a political crisis in 2022 which led to the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe managed to negotiate a bailout package worth $3bn with the International Monetary Fund – but many Sri Lankans continue to feel economic hardship.
“We are still stuck with the problems we faced before. We still don’t have financial help even to fulfill our daily needs,” 26-year-old garment factory worker Manjula Devi, who works in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone near Colombo, told the BBC.
The number of people living below the poverty line in Sri Lanka has risen to 25.9% in the past four years. The World Bank expects the economy to grow by only 2.2% in 2024.
Disenchantment with established political players greatly helped the left-leaning Dissanayake during September’s election. His party has traditionally backed strong state intervention and lower taxes, and campaigned for leftist economic policies.
Dissanayake made history as Sri Lanka’s first president to be elected with less than 50% of the vote. Many observers think his alliance will do better this time.
How his alliance fares will be partly due to a fragmented opposition – with many leaders and parties breaking away into either smaller groups, or contesting as independent candidates.
Observers say the JVP-led alliance ran a more vibrant campaign than the opposition.
The coalition will now be under massive pressure to perform and live up to their campaign promises. Dissanayake has promised to repay the country’s debt, reform its political culture, and punish members of past administrations for corruption.
Sri Lanka’s economic situation remains precarious – and the main focus is still on providing essential goods and services. How the country progresses from this point will be a real challenge for the new government.
[BBC]
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Lebanon parliament elects army chief Joseph Aoun as president
Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun has been elected as the country’s president after a second round of parliamentary voting, breaking a deadlock that has left the country without a head of state since October 2022.
Aoun only needed a simple parliamentary majority of 65 votes on Thursday afternoon to be elected as Lebanon’s new leader and members of parliament erupted in celebration as Aoun reached the number of votes required to be elected.
Earlier in the day, he fell short of the two-thirds majority of the 128-seat parliament to become president in the first round of voting. During the first round, he received support from 71 parliament members, 15 short of the required 86 votes.
The Mediterranean country has been without a president since the term of Michel Aoun – not related – ended in October 2022.
Tensions between Hezbollah movement and its opponents scuppered a dozen previous votes.
But international pressure has mounted for a successful outcome with just 17 days remaining in a ceasefire to deploy Lebanese troops alongside UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon after a Hezbollah-Israel war last autumn.
[Aljazeera]
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Appropriation Bill (2025) presented to Parliament
The Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya presented the Bill entitled “Appropriation”to the Parliament today (Jan. 9th), to provide for the service of the financial year 2025.
Latest News
Hollywood Hills blaze rapidly expanding, fire chief says
A fire official says a blaze that broke out in Hollywood Hills is “rapidly expanding” after a mandatory evacuation order was issued in the area following the spread of the wildfires in Los Angeles.
California fire chief David Acuna told the BBC there had been “zero progress” in containing the fires because of high winds and dry conditions. “The wind has been blowing consistently at 60-100mph (95-160km/h) since yesterday morning,” Acuna said. “It actually blew harder last night.”
At least five fires are currently active across Los Angeles, with five people confirmed to have been killed.
Wind speeds have dropped to about 30mph, but Acuna said “it is still significant and because there are a lot of open areas it is extremely dangerous”.
More than 130,000 people have already had to evacuate, and the homes of a number of celebrities – including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal – have been destroyed.
The first fire began on Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, near Malibu, with others subsequently breaking out across the north of the city.
As of 20:15 local time (04:00 GMT), four fires in the areas of the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar, and the Hollywood Hills covered more than 27,000 acres (42 sq miles; 109 sq km) and were 0% contained, according to the LAFD.
One fire in the Acton area had been partially contained, while two others had been completely contained.
The fire in the Hollywood Hills – a residential neighbourhood overlooking the historic Hollywood area of the city – began at around 18:00 local time on Wednesday.
Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was blanketed with thick smoke, and the tops of the palm trees that line its streets were barely visible.
People used sweatshirts to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others – clearly surprised by the fire – wore only pyjamas. Many carried bags and suitcases, talking on their phones as they made plans for where to go.
Many of the roads near the fire – including Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame – were gridlocked with traffic. Some people even drove on the wrong side of the road as they tried to get out of the area.
Resident Anna Waldman told the BBC she had set out to walk her dog but smelled smoke almost instantly when she went outside.
She went back inside and, looking out her back windows, saw fire, and watched as it moved quickly through the Hollywood Hills, coming to within a block of her home.
She packed what she could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three small dogs.
“I can’t believe this,” she said in exhaustion, pulling down her face mask.
Makayla Jackson, 26, and her two-year-old son, Ramari, had been evacuated from a homeless shelter that was in danger of burning, and now stood on the street waiting for a ride to a high school where help was being offered to people.
“They just told us to get out and go,” she said.
By Wednesday night Sunset Boulevard, the famous strip in West Hollywood, lay in ruins, according to reports in the LA Times.
Local residents told the newspaper banks, cafes and supermarkets they had frequented for decades were completely destroyed.
Michael Payton, store director of the Erewhon supermarket chain, said the shop, famous for its patronage by Los Angeles A-listers, had survived but that the area was levelled.
“The whole Palisades is done,” he told the newspaper, “The whole town is done. This is complete devastation.”
Firefighters tackling the blazes have experienced water shortages and have had to resort to taking water from swimming pools and ponds.
Officials said three separate one-million-gallon tanks were full before the fires began, but that the elevation of the fires meant water couldn’t move quickly enough to hydrants in the affected areas.
The city also doesn’t typically see fires of this magnitude – the Palisades blaze is already the most destructive in its history – and its systems are designed for urban use, not fighting wildfires.
[BBC]
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