UPFA grand slam

Rasika Somarathna

*Obtains two-thirds majority

*Southern development endorsed

*UNP far behind

The UPFA won the Southern Provincial Council election with a resounding two thirds majority at Saturday’s Provincial Council poll. With Saturday’s victory the UPFA has recorded a grand slam winning all provincial council elections in a row. Earlier, the UPFA won the Eastern, North Central, Sabargamuwa, Western and Uva Provincial Councils with 52.21, 56.37, 55.34, 64.73 and 72.39 percent respectively.

Comfortable margins

The UPFA swept the board winning all electorates by comfortable margins, to secure control of the Southern Provincial Council obtaining 38 (including two bonus seats) seats out of 55 on offer.

As predicted by the UPFA think tank during the run up to the poll, they were able to obtain a majority of 506,891 votes over their closest rival UNP. During the campaign trail, the UPFA predicted that they would cross the 500,000 majority mark. The UPFA polled 804, 071 votes (67.88 percent), while the UNP emerged a distant second obtaining 297,180 votes (25.09 percent), with 14 seats. The People’s Liberation Front (JVP), got just 72, 379 votes and three seats.

The UPFA also won all three districts in the Province, Galle, Matara and Hambantota obtaining more than two third of the votes cast in each of them.

Increase

In comparison to the 2004 PC elections, the UPFA (561,644 votes) had increased their total votes by 242,427, in 2009 even without the support of the JVP this time. The UNP (291,943 votes) in comparison was only able to increase its margin by 5,237 votes.

Incidentally, from 2004 - 2009 the number of electors in the province had increased by a margin of 109,383.

Clear endorsement

The voter turn-out at Saturday’s poll too remained high with around 69 percent of the electors casting their votes.

Meanwhile, political analysts described the result as a clear endorsement of the President’s policies and direction and a vote of appreciation for ridding the country from the clutches of terrorism. They said the massive majority margins even from the remotest of areas in the deep south indicated the people’s appreciation of the Government’s present development efforts in the province.

Elections Commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayaka meanwhile commenting on the conduct of the poll yesterday expressed his happiness over the peaceful atmosphere which prevailed during the day and the immediate aftermath.

He thanked the Returning Officers and all Elections Department staff engaged during the polls and commended them for their professionalism.

Meanwhile, several election monitoring groups which observed the conduct of the poll said that no major polls violations were recorded by them.

However, they said that several minor incidents had taken place which they described as not having much of an impact on the overall result.

The Police said it was one of the most well behaved polls they had witnessed during the recent past. They said that despite a few minor violations, a peaceful atmosphere had prevailed throughout the day of the polls and in the immediate aftermath.

Clear manifestation of patriotism

Shirley Wijesinghe

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary, Minister Maithripala Sirisena yesterday expressed his thanks and paid a tribute to the people of Southern province for giving a two third majority victory at the Southern Provincial Council election to the UPFA led by the SLFP.

The Minister described this victory as an event of people rallying round the victory achieved by the President and by the people of the region where he was born.

“The victories of provincial councils elections won from the Eastern province to the Southern province is not just a political win. The victory is a clear manifestation of patriotism and pride of the intellectuals of the country,” the Minister said.

A real answer has been given to the rival local and foreign elements who are trying to undermine the military victory over terrorism gained under the perfect direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Commander in Chief. Such elements should understand the reality of their ultimate political agenda, the Minister said.

He said the people will realize the correct meaning of the so called Jana Peraliya which the Opposition planned from the Southern Province against the Government.

Strong message to conspirators

The people of the South who have endorsed President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government with a resounding verdict at the Southern Provincial Council poll also have relayed a strong message to international conspirators who are trying to tarnish the country’s image, SLFP Senior Vice President, Plantation Industries Minister D. M. Jayaratne said.

This PC election was held under pressure from international rival forces after the end of terrorism something that was not witnessed during the previous PC elections, he added.

Minister Jayaratne said that it was a real blessing to proceed towards a stable nation.

As at all recent elections, the SPC election too indicate the overwhelming confidence of the people in the President and the Government.

The time has come for the Opposition to make some crucial decisions. They should decide whether they want to continue the mudslinging campaign they have been carrying throughout or support the Government to achieve lasting peace and prosperity, he said.

President only leader who can protect country

Media and Information , Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, commenting on the Southern Provincial Council election victory said the people of Southern province have repeatedly reminded that President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the one and only leader who is able to protect and uplift the country.

Minister Yapa added that it has been confirmed again through the victory that there is no political leader in the country to challenge the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The President has showed his political maturity by holding provincial council elections in the Eastern Provincial council accepting the challenge and thereby giving democratic rights to the people in the East, Minister said.

The UPFA has reached the peak winning the Southern provincial council election recording the highest percentage of majority in Southern provincial council election this year, the Minister said.

The local and foreign forces that rose against the Government were clearly defeated through the results of this election. The main opposition party was not actively engaged in this election. There was no fight even from the JVP,. They should find out the reasons for defeat, the Minister said.

The UPFA has obtained more than twice the number of votes obtained by the UNP from every district in the province, he said.

The number of seats of the JVP has declined from 14 to three in this election . It is clear that the rural majority of the province are with the UPFA. They have rejected the JVP, he added.

Govt’s hands strengthened more

The high percentage of votes cast in favour of the Government at this election has strengthened the Government, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said. The UPFA has obtained a two third majority at the Southern Provincial Council, Minister Abeywardene said in a release. “The percentage of votes for the UPFA this time has surpassed the one at the

last Presidential election which the Government contested with the support of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. However, this time the Government has achieved this higher percentage without the JVP which contested separately.

The JVP has to contend with just three seats while the UNP has lost its strength by two seats this time. However, the UPFA has been further strengthened by another two seats. In the whole, the UPFA has obtained a two third majority in the South.

The UPFA has also gained spectacularly even in certain districts which the JVP held sway in the past.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude and thanks to the people in the South who brought in this kind of a unique victory to the UPFA.”

South has welcomed Govt’s policies

The UPFA’s massive victory with a two third majority by beating other reactionary forces at the Southern Provincial Council Election is a unique achievement which should be written in golden letters in the country’s electoral history, said Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon in a press release.

The political mileage of the United National Party and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which boasted of launching the very first attack against the Government at this election has been badly shattered.

The 68 percent of the votes cast in favour of the Government an clearly demonstrate the fact that people in the South have judiciously endorsed the policies and development activities of the government, he said.

The Minister added” At this juncture, it needs to be questioned whether the UNP which unleashed state terror by mercilessly killing and causing to disappear thousands of youth and the JVP which launched anti-government terrorism by establishing a de-facto state in the past, have a moral and ethical right to ask for a mandate from the Southern people. As long as the people remember this terrible past, both the UNP and the JVP will never win the confidence of the Southern people.

It is under the unique leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the scourge of three decades old terrorism was eliminated from this country. It Sri Lanka is ever to be blessed with a massive social and economic development, it is only possible under the well-planned strategies of President Rajapaksa. People in the South have gratefully endorsed this cardinal truth.

At a time when bankrupt political forces and so-called non-governmental agencies are hell bent on exposing our war-heroes before the International War Crime Courts, this verdict of the Southern people will no doubt be a positive approach to the forthcoming Presidential and General Elections in the country”.