|
Sri Lankans ‘fulfil sacred duty’:
Landmark judgement will usher in economic prosperity - President
UPFA secures 117 seats out of
180 announced
by Dinesh WEERAWANSA
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pledged to use the landmark
‘judgement’ by the voters at Thursday’s parliamentary general election
to usher in economic prosperity and take the country to new horizons.
He said that all Sri Lankans have “fulfilled a sacred duty” reposing
faith in him and the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). Of the 180
seats decided on - district-wise voting, the UPFA takes an unprecedented
lead with 117 seats. The remaining 45 seats of the 225-member
legislature is yet to be decided on - 16 after the final results of the
Kandy and Trincomalee districts are announced and the other 29 on the
National List, based on the performance of the political parties.
The United National Front (UNF), the main Opposition UNP backed
alliance, secured only 46 seats, almost half the number of MPs elected
from the UNP at the previous general election in 2004.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) also fared poorly by securing only
12 seats.
The political nudity of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was
starkly exposed with the so-called Marxists-led alliance - Democratic
National Alliance (DNA) securing only five seats.
The JVP, despite taking cover behind Sarath Fonseka to cover its
political bankruptcy, suffered its biggest setback in its political
history, securing only five seats, compared to 41 at the 2004 general
election. The JVP failed to secure even a single seat in their former
strongholds of the Hambantota and Matara districts.
The UPFA secured majorities of over 100,000 in six electoral
districts while its majority in the electoral district of Kurunegala
exceeded 200,000. Of the 20 districts, of which the final result has
been announced, the biggest majority of 322,953 votes was recorded in
Gampaha.
The final result of the 2010 general election would be known only by
April 20 after a re-poll is conducted in certain polling stations in
Kandy and Trincomalee districts. The final results of the two districts
and the final all-island result will be released only after the re-poll
on April 20.
The Commissioner of Elections decided to suspend counting of votes in
certain polling booths in the Nawalapitiya electorate in the Kandy
district and also a few areas in Trincomalee on account of alleged
malpractices.
“We are duty-bound to preserve the trust placed in us. We propose to
make this historic victory an opportunity to build an exemplary
Government on the road to building the miracle nation,” the President
said in a post-election statement.
The UPFA swept the board with a landslide victory, the biggest ever
in the 32-year-old history of the preferential voting system introduced
by President J.R. Jayewardene in 1978. Political observers said the
record victory by the ruling party is a mandate given by the people for
the Mahinda Chintana, the unique policy program introduced by President
Rajapaksa.
During the UPFA’s election campaign, the President called upon the
masses to elect a strong Parliament so that the country could face any
international challenge.
By giving a clear mandate to the UPFA, the masses have responded to
the President’s call in no uncertain terms.
The President said the “distinguished and historic” parliamentary
election victory of the UPFA would be used to make Sri Lanka the new
wonder in Asia. He called upon the newly-elected parliamentarians to
introduce a new political culture and said that it is the undeniable
task and duty of all MPs to build an excellent nation for the next
generation.
He called upon all political parties to join hands with the UPFA to
fulfil that task. “We should not condemn the defeated but enjoy our
victory in humility,” the President said. |
