Sri Lankan president seeks party win in parliamentary election to help him push his economic reforms

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is looking to consolidate his party's power in Thursday's parliamentary election to help him implement his election pledges to solve the country's economic woes and foster good governance.

The Marxist-leaning Dissanayake won the presidential election on Sept. 21 in a victory that marked a rejection of the traditional political parties that have governed the island nation since its independence from British rule in 1948.

However, Dissanayake's failure to secure more than 50% of the vote has fueled concerns over his party’s outlook in the parliamentary election. His National People's Power party must increase its votes significantly — from the 42% it won in the presidential election — if it is to secure a minimum of 113 seats to take control of the 225-member Parliament.

Dissanayake, while campaigning for his party's candidates, has called on voters to help elect them to Parliament so he won't need to rely on a coalition to enact the reforms he promised.

“A strong government should be formed to rebuild the country. A government that is unshakable in the Parliament should be established. And to do that, Parliament should be filled with elected members from our party," Dissanayake said to cheers at a rally on the final day of campaigning on Monday.

The election comes at a decisive time for Sri Lankans, as the island nation emerges from its worst economic crisis, having declared bankruptcy after defaulting on its external debt in 2022.

The country is now in the middle of a bailout program with the International Monetary Fund and debt restructuring with international creditors nearly complete.

Dissanayake had said during the presidential campaign that he planned to propose significant changes to the targets set in the IMF deal, which his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe signed, saying it placed too much burden on the people. However, he has since changed his stance and says Sri Lanka will go along with the agreement and not seek to change it.

He told his supporters on Monday that an IMF team would arrive in Sri Lanka two days after the election to complete a third review of the agreement.

“By the end of January or the beginning of February, we will complete that task. By then, we will be able to secure considerable stability in the economy,“ he said.

He said the government will present its first budget in February next year.

The government expects the budget to include proposals to reduce taxes and increase salaries for government servants.

Political analyst Jehan Perera said Dissanayake “has been careful and played it safe by continuing with most of the policies set by his predecessor. He has been sensitive to the concerns of the business community that any deviation from the IMF agreement could cause the economy to unravel.”

“The president has been careful not to rock the boat or sink it, as the opposition warned,” he added.

Sri Lanka’s crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the pandemic, which along with 2019 terrorism attacks devastated its important tourism industry. The coronavirus crisis also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad.

The government also slashed taxes in 2019, depleting the treasury just as the virus hit. Foreign exchange reserves plummeted, leaving Sri Lanka unable to pay for imports or defend its currency, the rupee.

Sri Lanka’s economic upheaval led to a political crisis that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign in 2022. Parliament then elected Wickremesinghe to replace him.

The economy was stabilized, inflation dropped, the local currency strengthened and foreign reserves increased under Wickremesinghe. Nonetheless, he lost the election as public dissatisfaction grew over the government’s effort to increase revenue by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses, as part of the government’s efforts to meet the IMF conditions.

Dissanayake’s National Peoples' Power party has gained popularity since his election victory, while the opposition parties are divided.

“Those who have been reassured by the smooth transfer of power and the NPP’s restraint in its first two months in power are likely to vote in his favor. This number is likely to see an increase over the number who voted in his favor at the presidential election,” said Perera, the political analyst.

Ruwan Sanjeewa, 36, who works as a laborer, joined one of the final rallies held by Dissanayake's party in the town of Gampaha, 34 kilometers (21 miles) north of Colombo and said he would vote for the NPP.

“See the plight of the country today. Traditional political parties who ruled this country over the last few decades have failed to deliver what they promised. We are now in a very pathetic situation. So, I want to give a chance to NPP. Let's see what they will do. I am hopeful the NPP might do something good for this country,” he said.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks during a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A van pasted with propaganda of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna is seen as supporters of ruling National People's Power campaign ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Dambulla , Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov.10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake waves with other candidates during a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan president and the leader of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrives for a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A woman holds a flag of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake 's National People's Power party during a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake wait for transport after a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of National People's Power pose for selfie photos next to election propaganda carrying a portrait of president Anura Kumara Dissanayake after a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake leaves after a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A supporter of National People's Power distributes propaganda material ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov.10, 2024.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A supporter of National People's Power distributes propaganda material ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov.10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake waves with other candidates during a public rally ahead of Thursday's parliamentary election in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — At least 11 people have died after Cyclone Chido caused devastating damage in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, France's Interior Ministry said Sunday.

The intense tropical cyclone has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, where aid agencies are warning of more loss of life and severe damage in northern Mozambique.

The ministry said it was proving difficult to get a precise tally of the dead and injured in Mayotte amid fears the death toll will increase. A local hospital reported that nine people were in critical condition there and 246 others were injured.

The tropical cyclone blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar. Mayotte was directly in its path and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. The local prefect said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Saturday night after an emergency meeting in Paris that there were fears that the death toll in Mayotte “will be high” and the island had been largely devastated.

Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said public infrastructure on Mayotte had been severely damaged or destroyed, including the main hospital and the airport. He said many people living in precarious shacks in slum areas have faced very serious risks.

Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service, making it a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.

Mayotte has a population of just over 300,000 spread over two main islands about 800 kilometers (500 miles) off Africa’s east coast. It is France's poorest island and the European Union's poorest territory. In some parts, entire neighborhoods were flattened, while local residents reported many trees had been uprooted and boats had been flipped or sunk.

The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

More than 100 rescuers and firefighters have been deployed in Mayotte from France and the nearby territory of Reunion, and an additional reinforcement of 140 people was due to be sent on Sunday. Supplies were being rushed in on military aircraft and ships.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was closely monitoring the situation, while Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the cyclone while on a visit Sunday to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Chido continued its eastern trajectory and made landfall early Sunday in Mozambique on the African mainland, where emergency officials had warned that 2.5 million people could be impacted in two northern provinces, Cabo Delgado and Nampula. Landlocked Malawi and Zimbabwe are also preparing to be affected, with both countries warning they might have to evacuate people from low-lying areas because of flooding.

In Mozambique, the United Nations Children's Fund said Cabo Delgado province, home to around 2 million people, had been hit hard.

“Many homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed and we are working closely with government to ensure continuity of essential basic services,” UNICEF said. “While we are doing everything we can, additional support is urgently needed.”

UNICEF Mozambique spokesman Guy Taylor said in a video posted by the group from Cabo Delgado's regional capital that alongside the immediate impact of the cyclone, communities now face the prospect of being cut off from schools and health facilities for weeks.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southeastern Indian Ocean and southern Africa has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries last year.

The cyclones bring the risk of flooding and landslides, but also stagnant pools of water may later spark deadly outbreaks of the waterborne disease cholera as well as dengue fever and malaria.

Studies say the cyclones are getting worse because of climate change. They can leave poor countries in southern Africa, which contribute a tiny amount to global warming, having to deal with large humanitarian crises, underlining their call for more help from rich nations to deal with the impact of climate change.

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Corbet reported from Paris.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

This undated photo provided by NGO Medecins du Monde on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, shows a devastated hill on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Medecins du Monde via AP)