Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections Wednesday that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. His party has campaigned for a strong government that will enable Rajapaksa to fulfill his presidential election pledges. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. The opposition party has focused on providing relief to those undergoing economic hardships because of the pandemic.

Some information on Sri Lanka and the election:

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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, center, interacts with supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 28, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections Wednesday that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. His party has campaigned for a strong government that will enable Rajapaksa to fulfill his presidential election pledges. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. The opposition party has focused on providing relief to those undergoing economic hardships because of the pandemic.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister and older brother of the country's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa, center, greets supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka, a teardrop-shaped island separated from India by the Palk Strait, has 22 million people. About 75% are from the Sinhala ethnic group, who are mostly Buddhists. Tamils, who are mainly Hindus, comprise about 15% of the population, while 9% are Muslims. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are the main religions. Sri Lanka's main earnings of foreign exchange come from remittances from overseas workers, the tourism industry and tea exports.
Sri Lanka's main opposition candidate Sajith Premadasa, center, waves to supporters during a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 31, 2020. Sajith Premadasa is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa who was killed in a suicide bombing by separatist rebels in 1993. Premadasa leads a political party that broke away from the United National Party, the country's largest party. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

The Tamil rebels fought to create an independent state in the country’s north and east, accusing the Sinhala-controlled state of systemic marginalization. The country has enjoyed relative peace since government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009.
FILE- In this April 21, 2019 file photo, Sri Lankan army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast on Easter Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s decade of peace since the end of the civil war was shattered by attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019 that killed some 269 people. The country is voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5, that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Rajapaksa cast himself as the only leader able to keep Sri Lanka secure after the attacks serious intelligence lapses and discord in the then-government. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena, File)

More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. A total of 7,452 candidates from 54 political parties and independent groups are contesting the election in 22 districts.
Supporters of Sri Lanka's ruling party candidate Wimal Weerawansa listen to a speech during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5 that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Sri Lanka's ruling party candidate Wimal Weerawansa listen to a speech during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5 that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)
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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, center, interacts with supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 28, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections Wednesday that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. His party has campaigned for a strong government that will enable Rajapaksa to fulfill his presidential election pledges. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. The opposition party has focused on providing relief to those undergoing economic hardships because of the pandemic.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister and older brother of the country's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa, center, greets supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka, a teardrop-shaped island separated from India by the Palk Strait, has 22 million people. About 75% are from the Sinhala ethnic group, who are mostly Buddhists. Tamils, who are mainly Hindus, comprise about 15% of the population, while 9% are Muslims. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are the main religions. Sri Lanka's main earnings of foreign exchange come from remittances from overseas workers, the tourism industry and tea exports.

Sri Lanka's main opposition candidate Sajith Premadasa, center, waves to supporters during a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 31, 2020. Sajith Premadasa is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa who was killed in a suicide bombing by separatist rebels in 1993. Premadasa leads a political party that broke away from the United National Party, the country's largest party. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

The Tamil rebels fought to create an independent state in the country’s north and east, accusing the Sinhala-controlled state of systemic marginalization. The country has enjoyed relative peace since government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009.

FILE- In this April 21, 2019 file photo, Sri Lankan army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast on Easter Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s decade of peace since the end of the civil war was shattered by attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019 that killed some 269 people. The country is voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5, that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Rajapaksa cast himself as the only leader able to keep Sri Lanka secure after the attacks serious intelligence lapses and discord in the then-government. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena, File)

More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. A total of 7,452 candidates from 54 political parties and independent groups are contesting the election in 22 districts.

Supporters of Sri Lanka's ruling party candidate Wimal Weerawansa listen to a speech during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5 that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Sri Lanka's ruling party candidate Wimal Weerawansa listen to a speech during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5 that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

THE COUNTRY

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, center, interacts with supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 28, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, center, interacts with supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 28, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka, a teardrop-shaped island separated from India by the Palk Strait, has 22 million people. About 75% are from the Sinhala ethnic group, who are mostly Buddhists. Tamils, who are mainly Hindus, comprise about 15% of the population, while 9% are Muslims. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are the main religions. Sri Lanka's main earnings of foreign exchange come from remittances from overseas workers, the tourism industry and tea exports.

CONFLICTS

Sri Lanka has faced two Marxist insurrections and a 26-year civil war with minority ethnic Tamil rebels in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed or disappeared. The Marxist rebels fought to create a socialist state, saying rural youth were deprived of their rightful place in society and faced discrimination in economic, educational and employment opportunities.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister and older brother of the country's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa, center, greets supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan Prime Minister and older brother of the country's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa, center, greets supporters during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting Aug. 5 in parliamentary elections that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

The Tamil rebels fought to create an independent state in the country’s north and east, accusing the Sinhala-controlled state of systemic marginalization. The country has enjoyed relative peace since government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009.

Sri Lanka’s decade of peace since the end of the civil war was shattered by attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019. Some 269 people were killed when attackers from local Islamic extremist groups blew themselves up in three churches and three tourist hotels. Rajapaksa cast himself as the only leader able to keep Sri Lanka secure after the attacks serious intelligence lapses and discord in the then-government.

THE ELECTION

Sri Lanka's main opposition candidate Sajith Premadasa, center, waves to supporters during a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 31, 2020. Sajith Premadasa is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa who was killed in a suicide bombing by separatist rebels in 1993. Premadasa leads a political party that broke away from the United National Party, the country's largest party. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's main opposition candidate Sajith Premadasa, center, waves to supporters during a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 31, 2020. Sajith Premadasa is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa who was killed in a suicide bombing by separatist rebels in 1993. Premadasa leads a political party that broke away from the United National Party, the country's largest party. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

More than 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers. The others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party or independent group. A total of 7,452 candidates from 54 political parties and independent groups are contesting the election in 22 districts.

The main contenders include Mahinda Rajapaksa, a charismatic former president and the current president's older brother, who is seeking reelection as prime minister. The 2015 constitutional changes strengthened the post of prime minister, which places Mahinda in a strong position to help his brother. Rajapaksa’s main rival is Sajith Premadasa, son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated by separatist rebels in 1993. Premadasa leads a political party that broke away from the opposition United National Party, the country’s largest party.

The polling will take place with coronavirus health measures in place, including social distancing, and voters are asked to bring their own pens to mark their ballots. Special booths have been set up for voters who are under quarantine. The election was originally scheduled for April 25, but was postponed twice because of the pandemic. Sri Lanka has largely contained the spread of the virus with 2,823 cases, including 11 deaths.

FILE- In this April 21, 2019 file photo, Sri Lankan army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast on Easter Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s decade of peace since the end of the civil war was shattered by attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019 that killed some 269 people. The country is voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5, that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Rajapaksa cast himself as the only leader able to keep Sri Lanka secure after the attacks serious intelligence lapses and discord in the then-government. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE- In this April 21, 2019 file photo, Sri Lankan army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast on Easter Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s decade of peace since the end of the civil war was shattered by attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019 that killed some 269 people. The country is voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5, that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Rajapaksa cast himself as the only leader able to keep Sri Lanka secure after the attacks serious intelligence lapses and discord in the then-government. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena, File)

 Supporters of Sri Lanka's ruling party candidate Wimal Weerawansa listen to a speech during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5 that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Sri Lanka's ruling party candidate Wimal Weerawansa listen to a speech during an election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Sri Lankans are voting in parliamentary elections on Aug. 5 that are expected to strengthen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's grip on power. Parts of the party are also calling for a two-thirds majority in Parliament so it can amend the constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)