Sri Lanka's presidential election on Sunday entered a second round of counting, marking the first time no candidate secured the required 50 per cent of the votes needed for an outright victory. The election results revealed a tightly contested race, with Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party’s broader front, the National People's Power (NPP), leading the first round with 5.63 million votes, or 42.31 per cent of the total.
Following Dissanayake was Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), who garnered 4.36 million votes, or 32.8 per cent. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe trailed significantly, receiving only 2.29 million votes, or 17.27 per cent, which resulted in his elimination from the race.
Election Commission Chairman R M A L Rathnayake said, “Though Dissanayake and Premadasa have secured the maximum votes, neither has surpassed the 50 per cent threshold. Therefore, we are now counting the second preference votes to determine the eventual winner.”
Sri Lankans cast their votes on Saturday in the first presidential election following the country's severe economic crisis in 2022. The election employs a preferential voting system , allowing voters to rank up to three candidates in order of preference. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in the first round, the second and third-choice votes are taken into account in a subsequent round of counting.
Rathnayake emphasized the uniqueness of this election: “No election in Sri Lanka has ever progressed to the second round of counting. In the past, candidates have always emerged as clear winners based solely on first-preference votes.”
As the counting continues, voters are keenly watching the results, hoping for a leader who can guide the nation towards recovery and stability. The outcome will be determined once all cumulative votes and preference votes are tallied, paving the way for a new chapter in Sri Lankan politics.
Following Dissanayake was Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), who garnered 4.36 million votes, or 32.8 per cent. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe trailed significantly, receiving only 2.29 million votes, or 17.27 per cent, which resulted in his elimination from the race.
Election Commission Chairman R M A L Rathnayake said, “Though Dissanayake and Premadasa have secured the maximum votes, neither has surpassed the 50 per cent threshold. Therefore, we are now counting the second preference votes to determine the eventual winner.”
Sri Lankans cast their votes on Saturday in the first presidential election following the country's severe economic crisis in 2022. The election employs a preferential voting system , allowing voters to rank up to three candidates in order of preference. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in the first round, the second and third-choice votes are taken into account in a subsequent round of counting.
Rathnayake emphasized the uniqueness of this election: “No election in Sri Lanka has ever progressed to the second round of counting. In the past, candidates have always emerged as clear winners based solely on first-preference votes.”
As the counting continues, voters are keenly watching the results, hoping for a leader who can guide the nation towards recovery and stability. The outcome will be determined once all cumulative votes and preference votes are tallied, paving the way for a new chapter in Sri Lankan politics.
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