2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election

2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
← outgoing members
All 225 seats in the Parliament of Sri Lanka; 113 seats needed for a majority
Registered	17,140,354
Incumbent Prime Minister; Harini Amarasuriya; NPP	; ;

Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka are scheduled for 14 November 2024 to elect 225 members to the new parliament. The 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka was dissolved on 24 September 2024, with nominations being accepted from 4 to 11 October 2024. Following the election, the newly elected parliament is expected to convene on 21 November 2024.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Background

The election was called on 24 September 2024 by newly-inaugurated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as part of his election pledge. As such parliament was dissolved ahead of the scheduled expiration of its tenure in August 2025.^[5]

Electoral system

The Parliament has 225 members elected for a five-year term. 196 members are elected from 22 multi-seat constituencies through an open list proportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold; voters can rank up to three candidates on the party list they vote for.^[6] The other 29 seats are elected from a national list, with list members appointed by party secretaries and seats allocated according to the island-wide proportional vote the party obtains.

Every proclamation dissolving parliament must be published in the Gazette and must specify the nomination period and the date of the election. The first meeting of the new parliament must occur within three months of the previous parliament's dissolution.^[7]

Contesting parties

		Symbol	Claimed ideology(ies)	Leader	Voteshare in 2020	General seats won in 2020	Seats before election
SLPP	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණ இலங்கை பொதுஜன முன்னணி		Neoconservatism Sinhalese nationalism Right-wing populism	Mahinda Rajapaksa	59.09%	145 / 225	106 / 225
SJB	Samagi Jana Balawegaya සමගි ජනබලවේගය ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சக்தி		Liberal conservatism Social democracy	Sajith Premadasa	23.90%	54 / 225	59 / 225
PA	People's Alliance පොදු ජන එක්සත් පෙරමුණ மக்கள் கூட்டணி		Big tent	Chandrika Kumaratunga	New	N/A
NPP	National People's Power ජාතික ජන බලවේගය தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி		Social democracy Anti-imperialism	Anura Kumara Dissanayake	3.84%	3 / 225	3 / 225
TNA	Tamil National Alliance දෙමළ ජාතික සන්ධානය தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு	—	Tamil nationalism Federalism	TBA	2.82%	10 / 225	10 / 225

Opinion polls

Institute for Health Policy

The following nationwide presidential poll was conducted by the Institute for Health Policy (IHP), an independent research institution.

Date	Polling firm	SLPP	SJB	NPP	UNP	ITAK	Others	Lead	Margin of error	Sample size
Date	Polling firm							Lead	Margin of error	Sample size
August 2024	Institute for Health Policy	19%	29%	28%	9%	4%	11%	1	±1–3%	1153
July 2024	Institute for Health Policy	13%	34%	32%	7%	5%	8%	2	±1–3%	1198
June 2024	Institute for Health Policy	16%	38%	26%	7%	3%	9%	12	±4–5%	446
May 2024	Institute for Health Policy	13%	34%	34%	6%	4%	9%	Tie	±1–4%	503
April 2024	Institute for Health Policy	12%	34%	34%	5%	4%	11%	Tie	±1–4%	444
March 2024	Institute for Health Policy	8%	38%	35%	5%	5%	9%	3	±1–3%	506
February 2024	Institute for Health Policy	9%	30%	44%	4%	4%	9%	14	±1–3%	575
January 2024	Institute for Health Policy	8%	30%	40%	6%	4%	12%	10	±1.0–3.6%	506
December 2023	Institute for Health Policy	10%	27%	39%	6%	3%	15%	12	±2.0–3.5%	522
October 2023	Institute for Health Policy	5%	26%	40%	11%	4%	13%	14	±1–5%	567
September 2023	Institute for Health Policy	8%	22%	42%	13%	6%	6%	20	±1–3%	599
August 2023	Institute for Health Policy	11%	24%	30%	11%	6%	17%	6	±1–6%	556
July 2023	Institute for Health Policy	9%	24%	23%	8%	4%	33%	1	±1–3%	466
June 2023	Institute for Health Policy	9%	23%	23%	9%	5%	30%	Tie	±1–3%	506
May 2023	Institute for Health Policy	10%	26%	23%	13%	4%	23%	3	±1–5%	630
April 2023	Institute for Health Policy	6%	30%	32%	9%	4%	19%	2	±1–5%	580
March 2023	Institute for Health Policy	4%	30%	41%	6%	4%	15%	11	±2–5%	521
February 2023	Institute for Health Policy	4%	30%	43%	4%	4%	15%	13	±2–5%	421
January 2023	Institute for Health Policy	8%	31%	32%	9%	5%	15%	1	±2–3%	724
July 2022	Institute for Health Policy	18%	32%	42%	–	–	8%	10	–	–
2020 election	N/A	59.1%^[a]	23.9%	3.8%	2.2%	2.8%	8.2%	35.2	N/A	N/A

Notes

^ Numbers obtained by Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance

References

^ "Elections in Sri Lanka". www.ifes.org. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
^ The Gazette Extraordinary (24 September 2024). "Proclamation by the President" (PDF). Department of Government Printing. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
^ Balasuriya, Darshana Sanjeewa (24 September 2024). "General election on November 14". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
^ Ng, Kelly (24 September 2024). "Sri Lanka's new president dissolves parliament". BBC. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
^ Mallawarachi, Bharatha (25 September 2024). "Sri Lanka's new president calls a parliamentary election for November to consolidate his mandate". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
^ "The Electoral System". The Parliament of Sri Lanka. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
^ "The Constitution of the D. S. R. of Sri Lanka" (PDF). The Parliament of Sri Lanka. 30 March 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.

External links

[8] Numbers obtained by Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance

[1] "Elections in Sri Lanka". www.ifes.org. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.

[2] The Gazette Extraordinary (24 September 2024). "Proclamation by the President" (PDF). Department of Government Printing. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.

[3] Balasuriya, Darshana Sanjeewa (24 September 2024). "General election on November 14". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.

[4] Ng, Kelly (24 September 2024). "Sri Lanka's new president dissolves parliament". BBC. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.

[5] Mallawarachi, Bharatha (25 September 2024). "Sri Lanka's new president calls a parliamentary election for November to consolidate his mandate". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.

[6] "The Electoral System". The Parliament of Sri Lanka. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.

[7] "The Constitution of the D. S. R. of Sri Lanka" (PDF). The Parliament of Sri Lanka. 30 March 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.

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