Opposition Wins Parliament Elections
Sri Lanka’s opposition ousted the governing alliance on a promise of peace talks with separatist Tamil Tiger rebels and a freer economy, officials said. The victory came after the worst election violence in the nation’s 53 years of independence.
The three-party United National Front won 129 of Parliament’s 225 seats, against 96 for the governing People’s Alliance and its supporting parties, Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said.
In a reversal of her earlier stance, President Chandrika Kumaratunga invited opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to assume the prime minister’s position.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
