2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections

Last updated

6th Sri Lankan provincial council election
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg
  2008/09 8 September 2012 2013  

114 seats across 3 provincial councils
Turnout64.10%
 Majority partyMinority party
  Mahinda Rajapaksa.jpg Ranil At UNP Office.jpg
Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremasinghe
Party UPFA UNP
Popular vote1,027,310557,885
Percentage51.05%27.72%
Councillors6329
Councils20

 Third partyFourth party
  R. Sampanthan.jpg Rauff Hakeem.jpg
Leader R. Sampanthan Rauff Hakeem
Party TNA Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
Popular vote193,827132,917
Percentage9.63%6.61%
Councillors117
Councils00

Sri Lankan Provincial Election 2012.png
Winners of polling divisions. UPFA in blue, TNA in yellow and SLMC in green.

Provincial council elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 September 2012 to elect 114 members to three of the nine provincial councils in the country. 3.3 million Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election. Elections for the Northern Provincial Council, which had been governed directly by the national government since it was demerged from the North Eastern Provincial Council in January 2007, are overdue but the government has not set a date. Elections to the remaining five provincial councils are not due till 2014 as they had their last election in 2009.

Contents

The United People's Freedom Alliance's domination of Sri Lankan elections continued as expected. It retained control of two provincial councils (North Central and Sabaragamuwa) but lost overall control in the other provincial council (Eastern), although it was the largest group.

Background

In an attempt to end the Sri Lankan Civil War the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed on 29 July 1987. One of the requirements of the accord was that the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the provinces. [1] Accordingly on 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987. [2] [3] On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order. [4] The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces. [5] On 2 June 1988 elections were held for provincial councils for Central, Southern and Western provinces. The United National Party (UNP), which was in power nationally, won control of all seven provincial councils.

The Indo-Lanka Accord also required the merger of the Eastern and Northern provinces into one administrative unit. The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent. Crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion. [1] On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Eastern and Northern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected council, creating the North Eastern Province. [4] Elections in the newly merged North Eastern Province were held on 19 November 1988. The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, an Indian backed paramilitary group, won control of the North Eastern provincial council.[ citation needed ]

On 1 March 1990, just as the Indian Peace Keeping Force were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal, Chief Minister of the North Eastern Province, moved a motion in the North Eastern Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam. [6] President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving the provincial council and imposing direct rule on the province.[ citation needed ]

The 2nd Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 1993 in seven provinces. The UNP retained control of six provincial councils but lost control of the largest provincial council, Western, to the opposition People's Alliance. A special election was held in Southern Province in 1994 after some UNP provincial councillors defected to the opposition. The PA won the election and took control of the Southern Provincial Council.

The 3rd Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 1999 in seven provinces. The PA, which was now in power nationally, managed to win the majority of seats in two provinces (North Central and North Western). It was also able to form a majority administration in the other five provinces with the support of smaller parties such as the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) . The UNP regained control of the Central Provincial Council in 2002 after the CWC councillors crossed over to the opposition. [7]

The 4th Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 2004 in seven provinces. The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the successor to the PA, won all seven provinces.

The 5th Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 2008/09 in eight provinces. The UPFA won all eight provinces.

Results

Overall

The UPFA won control of two provincial councils (North Central and North Central). There was no overall control in the other provincial council (Eastern) but the UPFA was the largest group.

Alliances and partiesVotes%SeatsCouncils
  United People's Freedom Alliance 1,027,31051.05%632
  United National Party 557,88527.72%290
  Tamil National Alliance [13] 193,8279.63%110
  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress [12] 132,9176.61%70
  Ceylon Workers' Congress 25,9851.29%20
  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 31,3841.56%10
  National Freedom Front [11] 9,5220.47%10
Independent lists 23,6251.17%00
  Eelavar Democratic Front 2,6930.13%00
Socialist Alliance 2,4800.12%00
United Lanka People's Party5950.03%00
United Socialist Party 4850.02%00
All Lanka Tamil United Front4600.02%00
Sri Lanka Labour Party 4490.02%00
United Lanka Great Council5970.03%00
Jana Setha Peramuna3980.02%00
Patriotic National Front3340.02%00
  Nava Sama Samaja Party 2860.01%00
Ruhuna People's Party2040.01%00
National Development Front2030.01%00
Our National Front1630.01%00
New Sinhala Heritage 1480.01%00
All Are Citizens, All Are Kings Organisation1450.01%00
Socialist Equality Party 860.00%00
Liberal Party 740.00%00
Muslim Liberation Front570.00%00
No overall control1
Valid Votes2,012,312100.00%1143
Rejected Votes126,427
Total Polled2,138,739
Registered Electors3,336,417
Turnout64.10%
Source: [14]

Eastern Province

Results of the 2nd Eastern Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012: [15]

Alliances and parties Ampara Batticaloa Trincomalee Bonus
Seats
Total
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%Seats
  United People's Freedom Alliance 92,53033.66%564,19031.17%443,32428.38%32200,04431.58%14
  Tamil National Alliance 44,74916.28%2104,68250.83%644,39629.08%30193,82730.59%11
  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 83,65830.43%423,08311.21%126,17617.15%20132,91720.98%7
  United National Party 48,02817.47%32,4341.18%024,43916.01%1074,90111.82%4
Independent lists 1,1780.43%09,0194.38%02,1641.42%0012,3611.95%0
National Freedom Front 9,5226.24%109,5221.50%1
  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 2,3050.84%0720.03%07770.51%003,1540.50%0
  Eelavar Democratic Front 5310.19%01,7770.86%03850.25%002,6930.43%0
Socialist Alliance1,4890.54%03790.18%06120.40%002,4800.39%0
All Lanka Tamil United Front760.03%03840.25%004600.07%0
United Socialist Party 1030.04%0370.02%01490.10%002890.05%0
Sri Lanka Labour Party 1110.04%0500.02%01070.07%002680.04%0
Our National Front1630.08%001630.03%0
United Lanka Great Council100.00%0150.01%0970.06%001220.02%0
United Lanka People's Party740.03%0160.01%00900.01%0
Jana Setha Peramuna310.01%0190.01%0350.02%00850.01%0
Patriotic National Front70.00%0780.05%00850.01%0
Muslim Liberation Front420.02%0150.01%00570.01%0
Ruhuna People's Party130.00%030.00%00160.00%0
Valid Votes274,935100.00%14205,936100.00%11152,663100.00%102633,534100.00%37
Rejected Votes16,74417,22311,32445,291
Total Polled291,679223,159163,987678,825
Registered Electors441,287347,099245,3631,033,749
Turnout66.10%64.29%66.83%65.67%

North Central Province

Results of the 6th North Central Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012: [16]

Alliances and parties Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa Bonus
Seats
Total
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%Seats
  United People's Freedom Alliance 234,38762.71%13104,16558.15%62338,55261.23%21
  United National Party 126,18433.76%769,94339.04%40196,12735.47%11
  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 11,6843.13%14,3822.45%0016,0662.91%1
Independent lists 9120.24%02720.15%001,1840.21%0
United Lanka People's Party2260.06%002260.04%0
Jana Setha Peramuna1780.05%0420.02%002200.04%0
United Socialist Party 1960.11%001960.04%0
United Lanka Great Council530.01%0910.05%001440.03%0
Sri Lanka Labour Party 540.01%0200.01%00740.01%0
Patriotic National Front530.01%0190.01%00720.01%0
Ruhuna People's Party510.01%0160.01%00670.01%0
Valid Votes373,782100.00%21179,146100.00%102552,928100.00%33
Rejected Votes18,2189,79228,010
Total Polled392,000188,938580,938
Registered Electors606,508294,365900,873
Turnout64.63%64.18%64.49%

Sabaragamuwa Province

Results of the 6th Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012: [17]

Alliances and parties Kegalle Ratnapura Bonus
Seats
Total
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%Seats
  United People's Freedom Alliance 213,73458.08%11274,98060.06%152488,71459.18%28
  United National Party 130,41735.44%6156,44034.17%80286,85734.73%14
  Ceylon Workers' Congress 8,9712.44%117,0143.72%1025,9853.15%2
  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 4,5191.23%07,6451.67%0012,1641.47%0
Independent lists 9,3562.54%07240.16%0010,0801.22%0
United Lanka Great Council2390.06%0920.02%003310.04%0
  Nava Sama Samaja Party 870.02%01990.04%002860.03%0
United Lanka People's Party2790.06%002790.03%0
National Development Front2030.06%002030.02%0
Patriotic National Front1060.03%0710.02%001770.02%0
New Sinhala Heritage 1480.03%001480.02%0
All Are Citizens, All Are Kings Organisation700.02%0750.02%001450.02%0
Ruhuna People's Party460.01%0750.02%001210.01%0
Sri Lanka Labour Party 700.02%0370.01%001070.01%0
Jana Setha Peramuna930.03%00930.01%0
Socialist Equality Party 860.02%00860.01%0
Liberal Party 740.02%00740.01%0
Valid Votes367,997100.00%18457,853100.00%242825,850100.00%44
Rejected Votes29,06524,06153,126
Total Polled397,062481,914878,976
Registered Electors631,981769,8141,401,795
Turnout62.83%62.60%62.70%

References and footnotes

  1. 1 2 "Indo Sri Lanka Agreement, 1987". TamilNation.
  2. "Introduction". Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009.
  3. "Amendments to the 1978 Constitution". Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009.
  4. 1 2 "North-East merger illegal: SC". LankaNewspapers.com. 17 October 2006.
  5. "Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999". International Centre for Ethnic Studies9. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009.
  6. Ferdinando, Shamindra (10 September 2000). "I'm no traitor, says Perumal". Sunday Island (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 1 May 2009.
  7. Sri Nissanka, Jayantha (30 April 2002). "Central Provincial Council : UNF takes over". Daily News (Sri Lanka) . Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  8. 1 2 The Ceylon Workers' Congress contested with the Democratic People's Front and Up-Country People's Front in two electoral districts and with the UPFA in other electoral districts.
  9. 1 2 The Communist Party of Sri Lanka contested with the Socialist Alliance in three electoral districts and with the UPFA in other electoral districts.
  10. 1 2 The Lanka Sama Samaja Party contested with the Socialist Alliance in three electoral districts and with the UPFA in other electoral districts.
  11. 1 2 The National Freedom Front contested separately in one electoral district and with the UPFA in other electoral districts.
  12. 1 2 The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress contested separately in three electoral districts and with the UPFA in other electoral districts.
  13. The TNA contested under and symbol of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi.
  14. "Provincial Council Elections 2012". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  15. "Provincial Council Elections 2012: Eastern Province". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013.
  16. "Provincial Council Elections 2012: North Central Province". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  17. "Provincial Council Elections 2012: Sabaragamuwa Province". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.

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