The local polls were the first elections since the unity government of Sirisena’s centre-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s centre-right United National Party (UNP) took office in August 2015. Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a party formed by breakaway members of Sirisena’ party, has secured 97 local bodies out of results for 139 councils so far released as at 0650 GMT. “Rajapaksa’s electoral performance comes as a surprise and will be problematic for President Sirisena,” Shailesh Kumar, director with political risk consultants Eurasia Group told Reuters. The president’s party has 41 legislators and the prime minister’s party commands 106 MPs in the 225-member parliament. The president and his supporters have opposed or neutralised many of the UNP reforms.

Source: bd News24 February 11, 2018 07:07 UTC