TheNational People's Power(NPP) orJathika Jana Balawegaya(JJB) is acentre-left[11]toleft-wingpolitical allianceinSri Lanka.It was formed as a coalition of left-wing and progressive parties that aimed to present an alternative to the existing political establishment.[12]The NPP emerged as a response to the perceived failures of traditional parties in the Sri Lankan political system. It is the current ruling party ofSri Lanka,having won the2024 presidentialandparliamentaryelections, and is currently the largest party in theParliament of Sri Lanka.PresidentAnura Kumara Dissanayakeis the current leader of the party andNihal Abeysingheis the general secretary.[13][14]
National People's Power ජාතික ජන බලවේගය தேசிய மக்கள் சக்தி | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | NPP |
| Leader | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| General Secretary | Nihal Abeysinghe |
| Founder | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| Founded | 13 July 2019[1] |
| Headquarters | 464/20 Pannipitiya Road,Pelawatta,Battaramulla,Sri Lanka[2] |
| Youth wing | NPP Youth[a] |
| Women's wing | Progressive Women's Collective |
| Ideology | Majority: Democratic socialism[3][4][5] Left-wing populism[6][7][8] Factions: Progressivism Pragmatism[9] Reformism |
| Political position | Centre-left[10]toleft-wing |
| Colors | Pink |
| Slogan | Let The Real People Win |
| Parliament of Sri Lanka | 159 / 225 |
| Provincial Councils | 15 / 455 |
| Local Governments | 15 / 30 |
| Election symbol | |
Compass | |
| Website | |
| npp.lk | |
Established in 2019,[1][15]the NPP consists of 21 diverse groups, including political parties and other organisations.[16]It contests in elections under the compass symbol. Considered an electorally weakthird-partybefore the 2024 presidential election, it briefly formed aminority governmentunder presidentAnura Kumara Dissanayakefollowing his election. In the subsequent parliamentary elections, the NPP became the largest party in the parliament for the first time with 159 seats, winning asupermajority.
History
The NPP was formed by the members of theleftistJanatha Vimukthi Peramunaand over 20 other diverse groups, including political parties, worker unions, women's rights groups and youth organizations including members of ethnic minority communities.[citation needed]
Opposition (2019–2024)
In the2020 parliamentary elections,the SLPP achieved a landslide victory as the ruling party, while theSamagi Jana Balawegayabecame the main opposition party. The NPP only secured 3 seats and remained a third party. Dissanayake later said in a speech that he was not satisfied with the SLPP's victory and the NPP's defeat. When the20th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lankawas announced, the NPP launched a protest against it.[17][18]
In government (2024–present)
The NPP saw a surge in popular support during the2022 Sri Lankan protests,amid dissatisfaction with the incumbentpolitical establishmentand theeconomic crisis.In the first vote count of the2024 presidential election,NPP presidential candidateAnura Kumara Dissanayakewon a plurality of the vote, with 42.31%.[19]Once the second round of vote counting concluded, Dissanayake was declared the winner and elected president, securing 55.89% of the vote.[20]The following day, Dissanayake formed an interim 3-memberNPP government.[21]
Shortly after his inauguration, President Dissanayake dissolved parliament and called forsnap parliamentary elections,fulfilling one of his campaign pledges.[22]In the elections, which were held on 14 November 2024, the NPP won asupermajority,securing 159 seats in the 225-member Parliament of Sri Lanka. The NPP won everyelectoral districtexcept forBatticaloa.[23]
The NPP's majority was the second-largest majority in the country's parliamentary history, and the first election since1977where a single party managed to achieve a supermajority. The NPP secured 6,863,186 votes, the highest ever obtained by a single political party in a general election, surpassing the 6,853,690 votes won by theSLPFAin2020.The NPP also won a record breaking 61.56% of the total vote, overtaking the previous record of 60.33% won by theUPFAin2010.The NPP won the most seats in theJaffna District,thus making it the first non-Tamilpolitical party to win this district.[24]Altogether, the NPP won 21 out of 22 electoral districts, and 152 constituencies.[25]
Vijitha Hearath,contesting fromGampaha District,won 716,715 preferential votes, the highest ever recorded by a candidate in Sri Lanka. This surpassed previous records set byRanil Wickremesinghein2015(500,566 votes),Mahinda Rajapaksain 2020 (527,364 votes), andHarini Amarasuriyaearlier in the election with 655,289 votes from theColombo District.[26]The election also witnessed a milestone in women's representation, with a record 21 female MPs elected, the highest in Sri Lanka's parliamentary history. Among them, 19 represented the NPP.[27]
Ideology
The National People's Power is ideologicallyleft-wing populist[28]and working-class centred. The NPP is led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the maincommunistparty of Sri Lanka.[29]The NPP promotes a unique Sri Lankan economic model based on socialist principles and considers both neoliberalism and 'classical socialism' to be failures.[30]The NPP claims to oppose excessive privatization[31]and supports the state maintaining a role in energy, financial markets, and sectors directly related to national security while limiting involvement in profit-driven businesses.[32]
Members
The NPP is composed of 21 groups, including political parties, youth organizations, women's groups, trade unions, and civil society organizations.[16]
- Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
- Aluth Parapura
- Ethera Api
- Public Servants for Public Service
- National Bhikkhu Front
- National Trade Union Centre
- Sri Lanka Communist Party (Alternative Group)
- Doctors for Social Justice
- Samabhimani Collective
- United Left Power
- Inter Company Employees' Union
- 71 Sahodrathwa Sansadaya
- Aluth Piyapath
- Mass Guiding Artists
- Janodanaya
- National Intellectuals Organization
- Dabindu Collective
- University Teachers for Social Justice
- Progressive Women's Collective
- Husmata Husmak
- All Ceylon Estate Workers' Union
Leadership
As of 5 October 2024, the current office bearers of the NPP are as shown below.[33]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Party Leader | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| General Secretary | Dr.Nihal Abeysinghe |
| Treasurer | Eranga Gunasekara |
| Deputy Secretary | Dr. Harini Amarasuriya |
| Deputy Secretary | Lal Wijenayake |
Leaders
| No. | Leader (birth–death) |
Electoral District | Took office | Left office | Tenure | General Secretary(term) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake (b. 1968) |
|
Colombo | 13 July 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 202 days[b] | |
| Nihal Abeysinghe2024–present | |||||||
Electoral history
Presidential
| Election | Candidate | First round | Second round | Result | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||
| 2019 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake | 418,553 | 3.16% | — | Lost | ||
| 2022 | 3 (E.V) | 1.37% | — | Lost | |||
| 2024 | 5,634,915 | 42.31% | 5,740,179 | 55.89% | Won | [34] | |
- NPP presidents
As of 2024[update],there have been a total of 1 National People's Power presidents.
| # | President (birth–death) |
Homeprovince | Took office | Left office | Tenure | Prime ministers(term) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake (b. 1968) |
|
Western | 23 September 2024 | Incumbent | 130 days[c] | ||
| Amarasuriya2024–present | ||||||||
Parliamentary
| Election | Leader | Votes | Seats | Result | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | ||||
| 2015 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake | 543,944 | 4.87% | 6 / 225
|
New | New | Opposition | |
| 2020 | 445,958 | 3.84% | 3 / 225
|
 3
|
1.33% | Opposition | [35] | |
| 2024 | 6,863,186 | 61.56% | 159 / 225
|
 156
|
70.67% | Government | [36] | |
- NPP prime ministers
As of 2024[update],there have been a total of 1 National People's Power prime ministers.
| No. | Prime Minister (birth–death) |
Electoral District | Took office | Left office | Tenure | President(term) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harini Amarasuriya (b. 1970) |
Colombo[d] | 24 September 2024 | Incumbent | 129 days[e] | |||
| Dissanayake2024–present | ||||||||
Local Authorities
| Election | Leader | Votes | Councillors | Local Authorities | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | ||||
| 2018 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake | 710,932 | 5.75% | 434 / 8,327
|
New | 0 / 340
|
|
| 2019 (Elpitiya) | 2,435 | 5.80% | 2 / 30
|
New | 0 / 1
|
||
| 2024 (Elpitiya) | 17,295 | 47.64% | 15 / 30
|
13
|
1 / 1
|
[37] | |
See also
Notes
- ^Section of theSocialist Students Union
- ^As of 31 January 2025
- ^As of 31 January 2025
- ^First entered from theNational list
- ^As of 31 January 2025
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- ^Srinivasan, Meera (16 November 2024)."Sri Lanka parliamentary election: How the NPP won over country's ethnic minorities".The Hindu.ISSN0971-751X.Retrieved12 December2024.
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- ^"National People's Power to launch its manifesto on 26th".
- ^""JVP-led NPP believes in a unique Sri Lankan economic model based on socialist principles" -Nalinda Jayatissa (former MP) ".www.dailymirror.lk.Retrieved22 September2024.
- ^"AKD outlines industrial policy of the NPP/JVP".Latest in the News Sphere | The Morning.19 September 2022.Retrieved22 September2024.
- ^"AKD assures business community of investment security under NPP Govt. | Daily FT".www.ft.lk.Retrieved22 September2024.
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- ^"Presidential Election Results – 2024".Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 22 September 2024.Archivedfrom the original on 26 October 2024.Retrieved26 October2024.
- ^"Parliament Election 2020 – Votes, Seats and National List Seats by Party – All Island"(PDF).Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 7 August 2020.Archived(PDF)from the original on 26 July 2024.Retrieved28 October2024.
- ^"Sri Lanka parliamentary poll: Ruling NPP heading for absolute majority".The Hindu.
- ^"Local Authorities Elections – 2024/10/26 – Final Results of the Council"(PDF).Election Commission of Sri Lanka. 26 October 2024.Archived(PDF)from the original on 27 October 2024.Retrieved29 October2024.