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Monday, Feb 16, 2009
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Big win for ruling alliance in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

The fight was mainly between UPFA and UNP
JVP, which suffered a major split in 2008, was the worst hit

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s ruling combine on Sunday secured an impressive victory in the election to two of the provincial councils.

In the run-up to the campaign, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had projected the election as a referendum on the war against the LTTE.

The results announced by the Election Commission showed that the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), led by Mr. Rajapaksa, secured over 59 per cent of the votes polled in the Central Province and 55 per cent in the North Western Province.

The fight has been mainly between the UPFA and the United National Party (UNP), led by the former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. The UNP polled over 38 per cent of the votes cast in the Central Province and 40 per cent in the North Western Province. Despite the overwhelming support of the people for the war, the UNP more or less retained its base.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which suffered a major split in 2008, has been the worst hit.

With the proportional representation in vogue under the Constitution, the 59 per cent of votes of the UPFA in the Central Province translate to 36 seats; and with 38 per cent of votes, the UNP will have 22 members in the Provincial Council of 58 members. In the North Eastern Provincial Council, the UPFA will have a representation of 25 members and the UNP 17 members.

Reacting to the election outcome, Mr. Rajapakse said: “the UPFA’s sweeping victory is a victory for all who love their motherland.”

UNP leader S.B. Dissanayake conceded that the results showed that the people supported the government’s war effort.

There has been speculation that, encouraged by the election victory, the President might advance the general election, which in due course is scheduled for 2010.

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Corrections and Clarifications

A sentence in the sixth paragraph of a report "Big win for ruling alliance in Sri Lanka" (February 16, 2009, page 1) was "In the North Eastern Provincial Council, the UPFA will have a representation of 25 members and the UNP 17 members." It should have been North Western Provincial Council, as mentioned in the earlier paragraphs.

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