Jayaratne will play a limited role under Rajapaksa, who is the country’s executive president. Rajapaksa has the power to appoint ministers, justices, military brass, and police chiefs, or to sack them. The prime minister is largely a figurehead who heads the government in Parliament.
The parliamentary victory followed Rajapaksa’s reelection as president three months ago.
The final results mean the ruling party can form a government with a simple majority, but it is six seats short of its goal of a two-thirds majority, which Rajapaksa had asked for in order to make unspecified changes to the constitution.
Government officials have speculated that the planned changes may include electoral reform and provisions against promoting separatism after the government’s military victory against the Tamil Tiger rebels last year. Despite opposition allegations that the president wants to monopolize power, he is a hero to many of the country’s Sinhalese majority for his role in the war victory.
The UPFA secured 117 seats after the April 8 election. However, election officials ordered a revote to elect 16 lawmakers after allegations of intimidation and fraud. Another 29 seats were distributed among parties according to their vote percentage.
Yesterday, the Election Department said Rajapaksa won 10 of the elected seats in the revote and secured 17 more seats according to the percentage for which he will appoint members.
His nearest rival, United National Front, secured 60 seats. An ethnic Tamil party and a coalition led by the country’s jailed former army chief won 14 and seven seats, respectively.
Sri Lanka has been under emergency rule for most of the past 30 years.
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