Rathgama Electoral District

Rathgama electoral district was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Rathgama in Galle District, Southern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing members of Parliament. The existing 160 mainly single-member electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral districts. ^[1] Rathgama electoral district was replaced by the Galle multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections.

Members of Parliament

Key

   Independent      Sri Lanka Freedom Party      United National Party   

Election		Member	Party	Term
	1960 (March)	M. P. de Zoysa	MEP
	1960 (July)
	1961 by-election	Edwin Thilakeratne	SLFP
	1965
	1970	M. G. Mendis	LSSP
	1977	Edwin Thilakaratne	UNP

Elections

1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960: ^[2]

Candidate	Party	Symbol	Votes	%
M. P. de Zoysa		Hand	7,700	29.84
Norman Waidyaratne		Elephant	6,938	26.89
M. G. Mendis		Star	5,781	22.41
Barbet de Silva		Key	3,874	15.01
Sampson Senanayake		Umbrella	1,183	4.59
M. J. Mendis		Flower	189	0.73
Valid Votes			25,665	99.47
Rejected Votes			136	0.53
Total Polled			25,801	100.00
Registered Electors			33,492
Turnout				77.04

1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960: ^[3]

Candidate	Party	Symbol	Votes	%
M. P. de Zoysa		Hand	11,583	47.12
Norman Waidyaratne		Elephant	9,390	38.20
T. W. Panditha		Cartwheel	2,390	9.72
K. G. P. Jayatilake		Eye	1,121	4.56
Valid Votes			24,484	99.61
Rejected Votes			97	0.39
Total Polled			24,581	100.00
Registered Electors			33,492
Turnout				73.39

1961 Parliamentary By Election

Following the resignation of M. P. de Zoysa, who accepted a position in the senate, a by election for the seat was held on 29 March 1961: ^[4]

Candidate	Party	Symbol	Votes	%
Edwin Thilakeratne		Hand	10,061	46.95
Norman Waidyaratne		Elephant	9,646	45.01
M. G. Mendis		Star	6,816	31.80
K. Justin de Silva		Cartwheel	512	2.39
Valid Votes			21,347	99.61
Rejected Votes			84	0.39
Total Polled			21,431	100.00
Registered Electors			33,492
Turnout				63.99

1965 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965: ^[5]

Candidate	Party	Symbol	Votes	%
Edwin Thilakaratne		Sun	15,696	47.68
M. G. Mendis		Star	14,813	44.99
M. P. de Zoysa		Lamp	2,545	7.73
Valid Votes			32,727	99.42
Rejected Votes			191	0.58
Total Polled			32,918	100.00
Registered Electors			40,242
Turnout				81.80

1970 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970: ^[6]

Candidate	Party	Symbol	Votes	%
M. G. Mendis	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Star	24,644	64.79
Edwin Thilakaratne	United National Party	Elephant	13,017	34.22
Hemachcndra Godage		Scales	152	0.4
H. K. Martin Mendis Rajapakse		Cockerel	120	0.32
Valid Votes			37,933	99.73
Rejected Votes			102	0.27
Total Polled			38,035	100.00
Registered Electors			43,536
Turnout				87.36

1977 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977: ^[7]

Candidate	Party	Symbol	Votes	%
Edwin Thilakaratne	United National Party	Elephant	22,486	53.25
M. G. Mendis		Star	15,734	37.26
M. P. de Zoysa		Eye	3,449	8.17
E. H. Panditharatne		Scales	446	1.06
Valid Votes			42,115	99.73
Rejected Votes			113	0.27
Total Polled			42,228	100.00
Registered Electors			48,840
Turnout				86.46

References

1. "The Electoral System". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
2. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 19 March 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
3. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 20 July 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
4. "Results of the Parliamentary By Elections between 1947 and 1988" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
5. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
6. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
7. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 May 2017.