Download Final results from Sri Lanka's general election confirm that President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition has secured an overwhelming victory.
His alliance of parties has secured the biggest landslide victory seen in the country since 1977, although on the lowest turnout since independence.
The results came after repelling in two parts of the country hit by violence on Election Day two weeks ago.
As Ponniah Manikavasagam reports President Rajapaksa narrowly failed to win enough seats to alter the constitution.
There is little doubt that the President scored so well because he is seen as the man who last year rid the country of the separatist Tamil Tigers.
For that he is hugely popular, especially among the rural Sinhalese majority.
Supporters of the ruling party celebrate their election victory in the northern town of Vavuniya.
“Long live the President,” they cry. Muslim trader Mohamed Ismail is one of them.
“This is a victory for all the Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil communities. We can gain more developments through this victory. We hope our youngsters will be able to get good education, and the unemployment problem will be solved.”
President Rajapaksa is promising that through economic development he will make Sri Lanka into the ‘miracle of Asia’.
Political observers say the sweeping victory of the ruling party has given the country political stability.
Dr. Jehan Perera is the director of the National Peace Council.
“There is no threat to the government either from militants or terrorism or from the opposition. My only hope is that this stability will be used by the government to build a greater consensus to look at the interests of different sections of the population rather than to steamroll over the opposition and impose the views of the victorious side upon the other.”
The President now has vast powers until at least 2016 - if he can encourage just six opposition legislators to defect, he will have a two-thirds majority which will help him change the constitution.
He wants to give more power to the parliament and the Prime Minister.
The constitution limits a President to two terms in office and Rajapakse is in his final term.
But his victory is on the lowest voter turnout in Sri Lankan history.
James Ramanayake is a businessman.
“People are a bit unhappy because the cost of living is so high. There is no solution to the people’s problems here and they not worried about the political system in this country at all.”
Repolling had to take place in two parts of the country because of violence on Election Day two weeks ago.
But election monitors say generally polling was calm.
Keerthi Tennakoon is the director of Campaign for Free and Fair Elections.
“We had less election violence. But the misuse of state properties was so high in this election.”
Political opponents and international human rights groups have accused Rajapakse of violating human rights during the final military campaign and of suppressing dissent since his re-election.
Rajapakse's main challenger, a former army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, was arrested by the military 12 days after he lost the presidential election.
He was accused of entering politics while in uniform and misuse of funds in army procurements.
But he has just won a seat in parliament while in detention facing a court martial.
Amnesty International is calling on the new parliament to repeal the existing draconian emergency laws that have allowed for decades of widespread human rights abuses.
House wives like Appuhamy Chamilawathi say that if the government fails to fulfil its promises it will be defeated in the next election.
The United States called on the new government to use its mandate to start a reconciliation process in the nation recovering from decades of war.
Rajakanthan Seethawathi is a Tamil refugee waiting for resettlement in a camp near Vavuniya in the north.
The camp is heavily guarded by the soldiers.
But today she has been allowed to come to the markets after restrictions on movement were lifted.
“We want the government to rehabilitate us and develop our devastated life. We want education to our children and a good future for our family. That’s all.”
