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.