What Did Sri Lankan Voters Just Say?
By Nilkamal Gunewardena –August 26, 2015
Nilkamal Gunewardena
Sri Lankan voters have given a mandate to UNP led UNFGG to continue with the Good Governance culture which was ushered in January 2015 and the party received 5,098,927 votes (45.66%) and UPFA 4,732,669 (42.38%) won 106 parliamentary seats and 95 respectively at the General Election held in August 2015, TNA received 515,963 (4.62%) and 16 seats JVP 543,944 (4.87%) and 6 seats in the 225 seat legislature. Decline in UPFA vote base at General Election 2015 from January 2015 Presidential election is in excess of 1 Mn. votes (18%). At the 2010 Parliamentary elections UPFA received 4,846,388 (60.3%) votes and 144 seats UNP 2,357,057 (29.34%) and 60 seats, MR was not a candidate at this election.
UPFA was unable to enhance its vote base from 2010 in-spite of registered voters increasing by 956,190 in 2015 and MR being a contestant. UNP led alliance more than doubled its share of votes (116%) in comparison with it’s General Election 2010 vote bank. This is a clear indication that people opted for a change that could provide sustainable economic development and durable peace.
Seven key Electoral Districts comprising Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle, Ratnapura elect 95 MPs out of 196 MPs and of them, the most strategically important Electoral Districts to influence the electoral outcome of a party at a General Election are Colombo, Gampaha and Kurunegala. Colombo and Gampaha Electoral Districts were won by UNFGG while Kurunegala was won by UPFA. Turnout at the elections was at a high level as 77.66 % of registered voters cast their votes in comparison with previous General Elections. (2010 – 61.26%) which indicates that the public interest in the outcome of the election was equally high.
The vote share for UPFA in 5 electoral districts namely Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Moneragala and Ratnapura exceeded 50% of valid votes as against the vote share for UNFGG in 7 electoral districts namely Colombo, Kandy, Matale, N’ Eliya, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa and Kegalle exceeded 50% of valid votes. Winning Margins of UPFA were considerably slashed at times by more than 20% in some electoral districts.
