Thursday’s vote was marked by record low turnout and reports of voter intimidation that resulted in fresh voting being ordered in two of the island’s 22 electoral districts.

With nearly half the ballots counted, President Mahinda Rajapakse’s United People’s Freedom Alliance had secured 63.27 per cent of the vote, with the main opposition United National Party a distant second with 27.64 per cent.

“We have won the election,” said Transport Minister and UPFA spokesman Dullas Alahaperuma, who predicted the collated results would give his party 138 to 142 seats in the 225-member parliament.

The widely expected victory for the ruling party will further strengthen Rajapakse’s grip on power just three months after he won a second term as president by an emphatic margin of 1.8 million votes.

Rajapakse had been hoping for a two thirds majority that would allow him to amend the constitution, which currently limits presidents to two successive terms. “I want a very strong parliament to develop the country,” he told reporters as he cast his ballot on Thursday in a southern constituency where his son Namal was the ruling party candidate. For many Sri Lankans, it was the first legislative election in which they could vote without fear of Tamil Tiger violence and suicide attacks. But turnout was at a record low of less than 55 per cent — a figure that analysts said would take the glow off the ruling party’s victory.

“People have sent a message,” said political analyst Victor Ivan. “They are fed up with politicians and their deception. That is why nearly half of the electorate did not bother to vote.” Human rights campaigner and political analyst Nimalka Fernando said the low turnout undermined the legitimacy of the government’s victory.

“The result does not give moral authority to the government because half of the electorate did not vote,” Fernando said. Thursday’s vote was largely peaceful, except in two districts where Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake ordered fresh polls after reports of voter intimidation.

His main election rival, former army chief Sarath Fonseka who led the military campaign that defeated the Tigers, is now in custody and facing court martial.

His party had secured just 5.8 per cent of the vote at the halfway point in Friday’s count.

Opposition parties were largely united behind Fonseka in his campaign for the presidency in January, but they lost cohesion after his arrest and went into the parliamentary election with little hope of victory.