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| Friday, 16 July 2004 |
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| Attempts to mislead public on scale of UPFA win - Dy Minister Attempts are being made to mislead the public on the scale of the UPFA victory at the latest Provincial Council election, Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Bimal Ratnayake told the Thulawa television talk show on ITN on Wednesday. He said many so-called analysts were comparing the results of the April 2 General Election and the latest Provincial Council election, conveniently forgetting the fact that the former was held islandwide, whereas the latter was confined to six provinces. Most of them have also forgotten that the Wayamba Provincial Council election, which was also won by the UPFA, was held earlier. Thus, it is unfair to compare the results of the six provinces with those of all electorates. He said the UPFA scored a magnificent win at the Provincial Council poll. It won 123 seats, 74 per cent of the total voted. The UNP and its partners scored eight per cent. Meanwhile, UPFA General Secretary, Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha at the UPFA press briefing on Tuesday, said the UNP along with its friendly media institutions had published various forecast that by 10.00 am on the very day the Provincial Council elections were held, there were signs of reduction of vote percentage. He said the UNP and their friendly media institutions went on a massive campaign to bring the UNP into power at the April 2,General elections. They were also busy with similar tactics at the recently concluded Provincial Elections to bring the UNP into power. The campaigns were directed against the UPFA. He pointed that those who clamour for the creation of an independent media culture and appointing of an independent commission for State media institutions, never uttered a word against several private sector media institutions biased towards the UNP and launched their full strength against the UPFA at the Provincial Council polls. The overall vote percentage at the Provincial Council election was nearly 55.5 per cent. The vote percentage in several areas in the Southern Province such as Matara and Hambantota were 62 and 63 per cent. Higher vote percentage which has never recorded even in a general election was recorded in several electorates, he said. He said at the Provincial Council election in the Kandy district, UPFA votes reduced by 20,000 only. Except three seats, the UPFA has won the entire Kandy district. The UPFA won only two seats in Badulla district at the April 2 General Election but won all seats in Badulla district including Haputale electorate represented by Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandra at the Provincial Council election. He said: "At the 1989 Presidential Election, when late R. Premadasa was elected the President, the vote percentage was only 47 per cent from the total vote cast. The vote percentage of Matara and Hakmana were zero point. Going by this yardstick, we would like to know whether the UNP opined the election of President Premadasa, illegal? He held this portfolio for nearly two and half years. After the UNF won the 2001 General election, the Local Government Election was held on April 2002. At this election, the People's Alliance won only a few seats. The UNF won nearly 95 per cent of Local Government institutions. The vote percentage was 51 per cent. After that election, UNF Media spokesman Prof. G.L. Peiris went on record saying that the UNF had a two third majority. The UNP and several private media institutions biased towards the UNF during the Provincial Council election day, said the vote percentage had been reduced. Even at the Presidential elections in America, no party was able to record a 55 per cent vote percentage." Premajayantha said at the April 2 General election, the UNF won over UPFA obtaining 54,000 of majority votes in the Colombo district. However, at the recently concluded Provincial Council election, the UPFA successfully won even Colombo district. UPFA also won Negombo and Wattala the stronghold of the UNP. The UPFA has successfully won 123 seats, 74 per cent of the total votes cast at the Provincial Council elections. The UNP along with the CWC and the SLMC has cut a sorry figure with 13 seats, just eight per cent. In addition to this, UPFA obtained 55 per cent total votes at the North Western Provincial Council election on April 24 this year, he said. "We wish to tell the UNP and its friendly media institutions that the people of this country have given a clear mandate to the UPFA to take forward its policies in a more effective manner," Permajayantha said. |
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