The coalition of the left-leaning leader will win in a landslide

Sri Lanka's new leader's leftist coalition is on course for a landslide victory in the country's snap parliamentary elections, according to official results.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's coalition, the National People's Power (NPP), has already won 141 seats – close to the 150-seat threshold required for a majority in the 225-member house – with more seats yet to be announced.

Dissanayake, who was elected in September, needed a clear majority to fulfill his promise to fight corruption and restore stability after the island's worst economic situation.

The high cost of living was one of the key issues for many voters.

Analysts expected the NPP to do well in the election, but it remains to be seen how much it will win, and whether it will get the two-thirds majority it wanted to be able to pass its reforms.

In the outgoing assembly, Disanayake's party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which now leads the NPP, won only three seats.

The 55-year-old previously told reporters that he believed this was “an important election that will mark a turning point in Sri Lanka”.

Sajith Premadasa, the man who lost to Disanayake in the presidential election, led the opposition coalition.

Dissanayake called for a quick election soon after he became president to get a new mandate to follow his policies. “There is no reason to continue with a parliament that is not in line with what the people want,” he said.

About two-thirds of former MPs chose not to stand for re-election, including prominent members of the former ruling Rajapaksa dynasty.

Of the 225 seats in parliament, 196 MPs are directly elected. Others are elected by parties based on the average number of votes they receive in what is known as proportional representation.

High inflation, food and fuel shortages created a political crisis in 2022 that led to the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe managed to negotiate a $3bn bailout with the International Monetary Fund – but many Sri Lankans continue to face economic hardship.

“We are still stuck with the problems we faced before. We still don't have financial help to even meet our daily needs,” garment factory worker Manjula Devi, 26, who works in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone near Colombo, told the BBC.

The number of people living below the poverty line in Sri Lanka has increased to 25.9% in the last four years. The World Bank expects the economy to grow by only 2.2% in 2024.

Dissatisfaction with the older players in politics helped the leftist Dissanayake in the run-up to the September election. His party has traditionally supported strong government intervention and low taxes, and campaigned for cheap economic policies.

Disanayake made history as the first Sri Lankan president to be elected with less than 50% of the vote. Many observers think his coalition will do better this time.

How his coalition will fare is partly due to the fragmented opposition – with many leaders and parties breaking into smaller parties, or competing as independent candidates.

Observers say that the JVP-led coalition ran a stronger campaign than the opposition.

The coalition will be under a lot of pressure to make and deliver on its campaign promises.

Sri Lanka's economic situation remains fragile – and the main focus is on providing essential goods and services. How the country moves on from this point will be a real challenge for the new government.

Additional reporting by Kelly Ng