Colombo: In the first post war elections in Sri Lanka after the defeat of the LTTE, a pro-Tiger party on Sunday won the municipal poll in Vavuniya, an indication that the separatists still attract popular support, even as President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition won the prestigious Jaffna local elections.
Riding high on his popularity after the defeat of the LTTE rebels, Rajapaksa's coalition won the Jaffna municipal elections in the once embattled north, even as the pro-LTTE
Tamil National Alliance secured the Vavuniya council.
The ruling United Party Freedom Alliance (UPFA), however, registered a landslide victory in the Sinhala dominated Central Uva Provincial Council elections.
The first local body elections held in Sri Lanka after more than a decade in the two Tamil dominated area has sprung up mixed results with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) remaining a force to reckon with in the Wanni.
Rajpaksa's ruling United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has scored a significant victory in the Jaffna Municipal Council polls with 13 out of the 23 seats.
However, the pro-LTTE TNA party won eight seats in the Jaffna Municipal Council elections with more than 38 percent vote polled in its favour. While an Independent Group secured one seat, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), another regional party, got one seat. The ruling United People's Freedom Alliance secured 10,602 votes (50.67 percent) and 13 of the 23 seats in Jaffna polls.
The TNA polled 8,008 votes (38.28 percent), while winning eight seats Douglas Devananda's Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), a major player in Jaffna, was in an alliance with the ruling UPFA coalition.
However, the TNA performed well in the Urban Council Elections in Vavuniya securing five seats out of 11 up for grabs. While Democratic People’s Liberation Front (DPLF), a
coalition of Opposition parties, won 3 seats, the ruling UPFA alliance had to contend with mere two seats.
The Wanni local leaders led by V Anandasangaree of TULF had pledged support to the ruling UPFA candidates in the Vavuniya UC polls.
Although low voter turnout marred Jaffna polling, the campaign in both Jaffna and Vavuniya took place without violence -- which has been a rarity at polls in northern and eastern Sri Lanka during the Tigers' long rebellion.
Riding on the wave of the recent victory against the LTTE, the results of Sinhala dominated UVA Provincial Polls were on expected lines.
The ruling UPFA swept with 25 out of the 32 seats with the main opposition party UNP trailing behind with a mere seven seats.
Elections Commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayake issuing a statement noted that the Uva Provincial Council, Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Urban Council on the whole were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, August 09, 2009, 15:38