Underdogs upset UPFA euphoria!

Monday, 31 March 2014 00:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ruling party sweeps polls for Western and Southern Provincial Councils by securing 50% more votes than arch rival UNP
President Rajapaksa regime’s popularity wanes as UPFA loses 12 seats in Southern Province and five in Western Province
Impressive show by Sarath Fonseka as his Democratic Party wins 9 seats in Western and 3 seats in South
JVP confirms its revival with 11 seats including six in Western province
UNP loses two seats in Western Province but retains 14 seats in Southern Province
Main Opposition party secures moral boosting wins in select polling divisions of Colombo District as well as Galle polling division in the south

The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has won a yet another electoral exercise, defeating the main Opposition UNP but the ruling regime’s euphoria has been upstaged by an impressive show by the underdogs.

In its stronghold of the Southern Province, the UPFA lost five seats at Saturday’s election in comparison to 2009 whilst in the Western Province it lost 12 seats in comparison to the performance five years ago.

UPFA victory is a mandate against UN resolution says President

The victory of the ruling party is a clear mandate by the people against the UN rights resolution threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. In a special statement President Rajapaksa thanked the voters of the Western and Southern provinces for placing their trust in the Government and its development plans and said the victory is a fitting-reply to the anti-Sri Lankan elements. “The outstanding victory of the Alliance at the Provincial Council Elections is a certificate given by the people for the Government’s people friendly programs,” the President said in his message. “People have given a clear message that no international interference would be tolerated,” he said. He stressed that no outside force can deny the needs of the nation and the government is committed to strengthen the hard won freedom and to accelerate the development programs. “The results of the Provincial council Elections have once again shown that no force can defeat the aspirations of the nation, and the people will not allow international pressures,” he stressed. The President emphasised that the people’s consent is important more than anything else and said that the government will never leave room for any force to ruin the independence and the sovereignty of the country and suppress the hopes of the nation. The ruling party, United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) once again swept the provincial polls held Saturday for the Western and Southern Provinces. The President also expressed gratitude to all parties that extended support to hold the election in a free and fair manner.

On the other hand, the UNP lost two seats in the Western Province although it secured morale-boosting victories in select parts of Colombo. It managed to retain its 14 seats in the Southern Province. The most impressive underdog was the Democratic Party of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. His party secured nine seats in its maiden foray into the Western Province whilst in the Southern Province the DP secured three seats. The JVP also excelled, increasing its number of seats to five from three in the Southern Province and gained three in the Western Province to six.

Mano Ganeshan’s Democratic People’s Front secured two seats in the Western Province. Delivering a big blow to UPFA, the DPF emerged second in Colombo West, pushing the ruling party to the third slot. Minister Rauff Hakeem’s Sri Lanka Muslim Congress managed to retain its two seats whilst new entrant the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) of Minister Rishad Bathiudeen secured one seat. Political analysts pointed to the UPFA’s performance as a sign of waning popularity hence a wakeup call for the President Mahinda Rajapaksa administration. They also emphasised the impressive performance by the JVP and Democratic Party was ample proof that people disillusioned with UPFA and UNP were relying on the underdogs as an alternative or in a show of support. Underdogs including DP and JVP benefiited most from UPFA's loss of around 140,000 votes in Western Province. UNP's loss was only around 1,000 votes.

Media darlings lose out

Two celebrities who got huge media attention in the run-up fared miserably in Saturday’s Southern Province election. UPFA’s Anarkali Akarsha and UNP’s Nadeesha Hemamali both failed to win a seat in the Matara District as Anarkali polled only 8,842 votes and came 18th in the UPFA whilst Nadeesha secured 11,006 votes to emerge 12th in the UNP list. The UPFA polled 59% and won 10 seats and the UNP secured 24.6% and four

seats. The JVP won two seats and DP one seat. In Matara, the UPFA lost its voter base from 68% to 59% while that of UNP was reduced from 26% to 24.7%. The JVP saw its base nearly doubled from 5.5% to 10.3%.

However, the UPFA hailed the victory at both the Southern and Western Provinces as yet another endorsement of the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ and the Government’s popularity. It managing to secure the wins despite a re-energised Opposition – the UNP steered by a Leadership Council, led by Karu Jayasuriya and the JVP invigorated by a new Leader in Anura Kumara Dissanayake as well as the DP fired up by ex-Army Chief Fonseka. UNP took comfort in its victories and said the collective Opposition has sent a strong message to what it termed the corrupt Rajapaksa regime and the Government. The UNP managing to boost its voter base in Hambantota and the UPFA losing its own was a major development. Prior to the polls, President Rajapaksa urged people to express their displeasure over the US-led UNHRC resolution by voting for the UPFA. Pro-Government analysts claimed that the outcome of Saturday’s election was a strong message to the section of the international community pushing for alleged war crimes investigations. Overall the UPFA won the Southern Province with a majority of 388,977 votes or 55.6% and the Western Province with 683,993 votes or 50.15%. The UPFA secured 1,363,675 votes (53.35%) in the Western Province with 56 seats while the UNP received 679,682 votes (26.59%) securing 28 seats in the province. In the Southern Province, the UPFA polled 699,408 votes (58%) winning 33 seats and the UNP managed 310,431 votes or 25.77%, securing 14 seats. In the battle for the showpiece Western Province, the UNP won the Colombo North, Colombo Central, Borella, Colombo West and Colombo East polling divisions, while the UPFA secured the suburbs of Colombo District – Dehiwala, Ratmalana, Kolonnawa, Kotte, Kaduwela, Avissawella, Homagama, Maharagama, Kesbewa and Moratuwa polling divisions.

In the other two districts of the Western Province the UPFA emerged victorious as well. The UPFA secured 23 seats in Gampaha District while the UNP gained 10. The DP won four seats while the JVP secured two seats and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress won one in Negombo. Overall, in Gampaha District the UPFA gained 57.98% of the votes and UNP 24.80%. In the Kalutara District, the ruling party gained 13 seats with 58.91% of the votes and the UNP secured six seats with 25.26% of votes. The DP gained 7.62% of the votes and two seats while the JVP came in fourth with 4.42% of votes and one seat. In the Southern Province, the ruling party was victorious in all three Districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. In the Galle District, the UPFA obtained 57.58% of the votes and 13 seats, while the UNP received 26.34% of votes and six seats. The main Opposition also beat the UPFA in the Galle polling division by 737 votes. In 2009 the UPFA won Galle with a 5,000 vote majority. The Democratic Party gained two seats with 8.92% of the votes and the JVP secured one seat with 5.99% of the votes. The ruling UPFA received 59.19% of votes in Matara District and gained 10 seats while the UNP with 24.66% votes gained four seats. The JVP secured two seats with 10.03% votes while the DP gained one seat with 5.25% votes. In President Rajapaksa’s home District of Hambantota, the ruling party gained 57.42% of votes and eight seats while the UNP secured 26.34% votes and four seats. The JVP gained 12.93% votes and two seats. The UPFA’s loss of ground was evident in the south. In Hambantota the UPFA lost its overall voter base from 67% in 2009 to 57% whilst the UNP gained to 26% from 21.65% and the JVP inched up from 11% to 12%. In Matara the UPFA lost its base from 68% to 59% and that of UNP was reduced from 26% to 24.7%. The JVP saw its base nearly double from 5.5% to 10.3%. In Kalutara, the UPFA saw its share drop to 59% from 69.5% in 2009 whilst the UNP, DP and JVP enjoyed gains. DP won three seats in Colombo with 71,525 votes and four seats in Gampaha district with 88,557 votes. It also won 2 seats in Kalutara district with 43,685 votes. JVP won 3 seats in Colombo, two in Gampaha and one in Kalutara districts in its overall six in the Western Province. In the South, JVP won five seats. In Galle, DP won 2 seats, a further 2 in Matara though in Hambantota there was no success as it managed only 9,500 votes or 3%. JVP won one seat each in Galle and Matara whilst in Hambantota it won two seats.