Sri Lankan president's alliance sweeps polls

As expected, the Sri Lankan president seems to have convinced the voters, three months after being re-elected himself and not even a year after his government brought an end to over two decades of bloody civil war.

With 80 percent of the votes counted, Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling party looked well on its way to victory but it did not appear as if it was going to win the two-third majority that is needed for an amendment to the constitution to be made.

Rajapaksa had hoped he would be able to change a constitutional clause that limits the president to two terms in office. He has not made public other amendments that he is contemplating.

He told reporters on Thursday, as he voted in a southern constituency, where his son was running that he wanted "a very strong parliament to develop the country".

"Not a challenge for us"

Transport Minister Dullas Alahaperma and UPFA spokesman predicted that the party would get between 138 and 142 seats in the 225-member parliament. "We may be short of 12 or 13 seats to get two-thirds but that will not be a challenge for us," he said.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said it was "not challenging the legality of those who are elected but we must stress that there were serious violations in the run-up to the elections."

"This is not a free and fair election at all. There was election violence and malpractice on a large scale," UNP General Secretary Tissa Attayake told reporters.

Reports of voter intimidation resulted in fresh ballots being ordered in two of the 22 electoral districts.

Rajapaksa's main rival in January's presidential polls, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, ran for the elections backed by the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) despite being in military custody.

However, it was not clear whether he had gained any sympathy votes and the DNA had only won two seats.

act/Reuters/AFP
Editor: Thomas Baerthlein