Ruling Party in Sri Lanka Wins Parliament Majority

President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s United National Party won a decisive majority in Parliament after an election campaign in which more than 1,000 people were killed, according to results announced Thursday.

“The people have exercised their vote in the face of great adversity. The people have totally rejected the path of violence,” the president said after the results of Wednesday’s vote were announced.

Despite death threats and assassinations by Sinhalese extremists and Tamil separatists trying to halt the elections, 63% of Sri Lanka’s 9.3 million eligible voters cast ballots.

Premadasa’s party won 125 seats in the 225-member Parliament. The chief opposition group, former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party, captured 67 seats, Tamils won 23 seats, and the rest went to small parties and independents.

Premadasa, who won presidential elections two months ago, failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution and key laws. That could hamstring legislation needed to implement his ambitious anti-poverty program, which he considers vital for ending sectarian violence that has killed at least 10,000 people in the past six years.