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)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)