UPFA SWEEPS POLLS
The ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) swept the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial Councils with an absolute majority at Saturday's elections.
Though the party was able to outdo the other parties in the Eastern province, it failed to secure an absolute majority within the council.
The UPFA has increased its clout from 25 seats in 2008 to 28 this time around in the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, and from 20 to 21 in the North Central Provincial Council. Yet, in the Eastern Provincial Council, the ruling party's total number of seats has come down from 20 to 14.
The JVP has suffered a setback by losing its three representations - two in Sabaragamuwa and one in the East. However, the party retained its seat in the North Central Provincial Council.
The UNP which was the main Opposition in the Eastern Provincial Council was relegated to the fourth position this time with only four seats -- three from Digamadulla and one from Trincomalee. In 2008, the UNP which contested in alliance with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) obtained 15 seats. This tine the SLMC contested on its own under the tree symbol and received seven seats. The party won comfortably in the four Muslim majority electorates in the East -Kalmunai, Samanthurai, Pottuvil and Mutur.
The UNP's membership in Sabaragamuwa has dropped from 17 to 14, and in the North Central Province from 12 to 11.
Polls observers said that though the average polling rate at a provincial council election was 65-70 percent, it had dropped to somewhere between 55 and 60 percent this time. People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said internal conflicts in some parties and disappointment over the present political culture had apparently made people lose interest in the elections..
Mr. Hettiarachchi commended Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, for his efforts to uphold the election laws as far as he could. "The Commissioner made every possible effort with the powers vested in him to uphold the election laws.. We have to appreciate this," he said.
Commenting on the polls, SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirsena said the ruling alliance had managed to maintain its popularity in several consecutive elections like no other government in the world. He said this had been achieved under adverse conditions with the Opposition harping on the drought in North Central Province.
Though the average polling rate at a provincial council election was 65-70 percent, it had dropped to somewhere between 55 and 60 percent
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who dismissed the notion that the party had suffered yet another setback, said it was the ruling party that had diminished its vote base. He said the UPFA had lost 60,422 votes whereas the UNP had increased its vote base by 126,891 votes. He said the party would introduce radical changes aimed at increasing this vote base gradually.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said no one should judge his party by its performance at the elections as its struggle to resolve the burning issues in the main sectors went well beyond elections. He said the party would launch a struggle to resolve the crisis in the education sector and the issues facing the farmers. "These struggles are far from over as the election alone will not help the people resolve the burning issues in society," he said. Meanwhile, the UNP which had earlier signed an agreement with the TNA to extend its support to form a coalition indicated that it was ready for a three party administration in the Eastern Provincial Council.
Daily Mirror has reliably learnt that the UNP had already finalised a deal with the TNA to work together in the Eastern Provincial Council and was having discussions with the SLMC as well in bid to form a joint administration.
The Democratic People's Front (DPF), a predominantly Tamil Party based in the south and the plantation sector, yesterday, urged the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to help the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) form an administration in the Eastern Province.
DPF General Secretary Dr. A. N. Kumarguruparan said the SLMC should join up with the TNA to form an administration in the Eastern Provincial Council in order to realize the dream of the late Mr. A. H. M. Ashraff. Dr. Kumarguruparan said the dream of Mr. Ashraff, the founder leader of SLMC, was to form a Tamil Speaking Administration in the East.