2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election explained

Election Name:2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
Country:Sri Lanka
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
Previous Year:2004
Outgoing Members:13th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Next Election:2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
Next Year:2015
Elected Members:14th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Seats For Election:All 225 seats to the Parliament of Sri Lanka
113 seats were needed for a majority
Election Date:8 April 2010 (first round)
Turnout:61.26%
Leader1:Mahinda Rajapaksa
Leader Since1:2005
Party1:United People's Freedom Alliance
Leaders Seat1:n/a
Last Election1:45.60%, 105 seats
Seats1:144
Seat Change1: 39
Popular Vote1:4,846,388
Percentage1:60.33%
Swing1: 14.73%
Leader2:Ranil Wickremesinghe
Leader Since2:1994
Party2:UNF
Leaders Seat2:Colombo District
Last Election2:37.83%, 82 seats
Seats2:60
Seat Change2: 22
Popular Vote2:2,357,057
Percentage2:29.34%
Swing2: 8.49%
Leader4:Rajavarothiam Sampanthan
Leader Since4:2001
Party4:Tamil National Alliance
Leaders Seat4:Trincomalee District
Last Election4:6.84%, 22 seats
Seats4:14
Seat Change4: 8
Popular Vote4:233,190
Percentage4:2.90%
Swing4: 3.94%
Leader5:Sarath Fonseka
Leader Since5:2010
Party5:DNA
Leaders Seat5:Colombo District
Last Election5:Did not exist
Seats5:7
Seat Change5:New party
Popular Vote5:441,251
Percentage5:5.49%
Swing5:New party
Map Size:250px
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister after election
Before Election:Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
After Election:D. M. Jayaratne
Before Party:United People's Freedom Alliance
After Party:United People's Freedom Alliance

Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 and 20 April 2010, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 14th Parliament.[1] 14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election at 11,102 polling stations. It was the first general election to be held in Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the civil war which lasted 26 years.

The main parties contesting in the election were the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the main opposition United National Front (UNF) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by former commander of the Sri Lankan Army Sarath Fonseka. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had previously been reelected as president in January 2010.

As expected, the UPFA secured a landslide victory in the elections, buoyed by its achievement of ending the 30 year Sri Lankan Civil War and defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009. The UPFA won a large majority in the parliament, obtaining 144 seats, an increase of 39 since the 2004 election. The main opposition UNF won 60 seats, a decline of 22. The minority Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won 14 seats, down from the 22 they won in 2004, and the DNA, contesting for the first time, won 7 seats.[2] [3] The UPFA however fell short of its goal of obtaining a two-thirds supermajority in the house, which it would have needed to change the constitution on its own. The election had the lowest voter turnout in Sri Lanka since independence.[4]

While the elections were initially scheduled to be concluded on 8 April, irregularities in two districts led the Commissioner of Elections to hold re-polls on 20 April. Final results were announced the following day, a day before the new parliament was scheduled to meet for the first time.

Background

General elections are usually held every six years in Sri Lanka, to elect 225 members to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The country is divided into 22 electoral districts, and each district is assigned a specific number of seats depending on the districts population, with 196 seats distributed among the districts. At the election, parties contesting in a given district are awarded a certain number of seats available from the district based on the number of votes obtained in the whole district. The remaining 29 seats are distributed amongst the contesting political parties based on the percentage of the national vote received by each party.[5]

The previous parliamentary election was held on April 2, 2004. The newly formed UPFA alliance became the largest group in Parliament by winning 105 of the 225 seats, allowing it to form a minority government with the support of the sole Eelam People's Democratic Party MP.[6] [7] On April 6, 2004, President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa, the leader of the UPFA, as the new Prime Minister.[8] The rest of the government were sworn in on April 10, 2004.[9] [10] The new parliament was sworn in on April 22, 2004.[11]

Since then a number of defections and counter-defections from the opposition have increased the number of government MPs to 129, most of whom have been rewarded with ministerial posts:[12]

This has allowed the UPFA form a stable government for six years.

Following the expiration of the second term of President Kumaratunge, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse defeated the leader of the United National Party and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe in the 2005 Presidential election. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by Ratnasiri Wickremanayake. Under Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan military defeated the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam group in May 2009, ending the 30 year Sri Lankan Civil War and significantly increasing Rajapaksa's popularity in the country. Rajapaksa rode this wave of popularity to win the 2010 Presidential election, defeating opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka by a large margin.

Details

With the term of the 13th Parliament (also known as the 6th Parliament) scheduled to end in April 2010, Rajapaksa dissolved parliament on February 9, 2010, paving the way for fresh elections.[1] Nominations took place between February 19 and February 26, and the date of the election was set for April 8, 2010.[1] 14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election, for which 11,102 polling stations were set up. Of this, 415,432 people were eligible to cast their vote via postal voting. Final votes were counted at 1,387 counting centers around the country.[31]

Since the 2004 election, there were four changes to number of seats allocated to each electoral district. Anuradhapura and Gampaha gained one seat each while Colombo and Kurunegala lost a seat each.[32]

Contesting parties

All the constituent parties of the ruling UPFA contested under its banner. The parliamentary opposition parties (UNF, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and (TNA), who had come together to support common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka at the presidential election, were unable to form a common alliance to contest in the election. Therefore, the UNF and the TNA contested alone, while Fonseka and the JVP allied to form a new alliance called the Democratic National Alliance (DNA). Fonseka was the DNA's chief candidate in Colombo district.[33]

The UPFA, UNF and DNA contested in all 22 electoral districts while the TNA contested in the 5 districts in the north and east.[34] The UNF contested under the name and symbol of the United National Party, as it had done in the previous two parliamentary elections.[34] The TNA contested under the name and symbol of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, as it did in the last parliamentary election.[34]

A record 7,680 candidates contested for the 196 district seats.[34]

Violence and violations of election laws

Sri Lankan elections have a history of violence, misuse of state resources, and other violations of election laws. 274 incidents had been reported to the police up to 5 April.[35] The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) recorded 413 incidents up to 7 April.[36] The CMEV has stated that it is impossible to say if the election had been "free and fair".[37] People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) recorded 270 incidents up to 7 April.[38] The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has stated that the election was not free and fair.[39] CaFFE condemned the police and election commissioner for not enforcing electoral law.[40] The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) also recorded a number of violations.[41] A significant feature of the violence was intra-party clashes between UPFA candidates.

On the day of the election, there were a number of elections violations reported around the country. The violations in the Nawalapitiya electorate of the Kandy District were serious enough for the Elections Commissioner to nullify the voting in some areas of the electorate and order a re-poll.[42] Results from the Trincomalee District were also suspended as some ballot papers had been stolen.[43] Re-polling for the effected polling areas took place on April 20.[44]

Results

By district

|-! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" rowspan="3" | District! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" rowspan="3" | Province! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan="3" | UPFA! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan="3" | UNF! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNA! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan="3" | TNA! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" | Others! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" rowspan="3" | Total seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" rowspan="3" | Turnout|-! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |   +/-  ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |   +/-  ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |   +/-  ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |   +/-  ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" | Seats|-!style="background-color:" colspan="3"| !style="background-color:" colspan="3"| !style="background-color:" colspan="3"| !style="background-color:" colspan="3"| !style="background-color:gray" | |-| style="text-align: left" | Colombo| style="text-align: left" rowspan="3" | Western| 480,896| 10| +2| 339,750| 7| −2| 110,683| 2| +2| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 19| 65%|-| style="text-align: left" | Gampaha| 589,476| 12| +3| 266,523| 5| −1| 69,747| 1 | +1| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 18| 67%|-| style="text-align: left" | Kalutara| 313,836| 7| +1| 139,596| 2 | −1| 36,722| 1| +1| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 10| 67%|-| style="text-align: left" | Mahanuwara| style="text-align: left" rowspan="3" | Central| 339,819| 8| +3| 192,798| 4| −2| 23,728| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC | 0| 12| 64%|-| style="text-align: left" | Matale| 131,069| 4| +1| 55,737| 1| −1| 7,636| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 5| 60%|-| style="text-align: left" | Nuwara Eliya| 149,111| 5| +3| 96,885| 2| − 2| 3,984| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 7| 66%|-| style="text-align: left" | Galle| style="text-align: left" rowspan="3" | Southern| 305,307| 7| +1| 120,101| 2| −2| 33,663| 1| +1| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 10| 64%|-| style="text-align: left" | Matara| 213,937| 6| +1| 91,114| 2| −1| 20,465| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 8| 59%|-| style="text-align: left" | Hambantota| 174,808| 5| -| 83,027| 2| -| 19,186| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 7| 69%|-| style="text-align: left" | Jaffna| style="text-align: left" rowspan="2" | Northern| 47,622| 3| +3| 12,624| 1| +1| 201| 0| -| 65,119 | 5| −3| 0| 9| 23%|-| style="text-align: left" | Vanni| 37,522| 2| +2| 12,783| 1| -| 301 | 0| -| 41,673| 3| −2| 0| 6| 44%|-| style="text-align: left" | Batticaloa| style="text-align: left" rowspan="3" | Eastern| 62,009| 1| +1| 22,935 | 1| +1| 324| 0| -| 66,235| 3| −1| 0| 5| 59%|-| style="text-align: left" | Digamadulla| 132,096 | 4| +1| 90,757| 2| +1| 2,917| 0| -| 26,895| 1| -| 0| 7| 74%|-| style="text-align: left" | Trincomalee| 59,784| 2| +1| 39,691| 1| +1| 2,519| 0| -| 33,268| 1| −1| 0| 4| 62%|-| style="text-align: left" | Kurunegala| style="text-align: left" rowspan="2" | North Western| 429,316| 10| +1| 213,713| 5| −2| 26,440| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 15| 61%|-| style="text-align: left" | Puttalam| 167,769| 6 | +1| 81,152| 2| −1| 8,792| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 8| 57%|-| style="text-align: left" | Anuradhapura| style="text-align: left" rowspan="2" | North Central| 221,204| 7| +2| 80,360| 2| −1| 18,129| 0| - | style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 9| 61%|-| style="text-align: left" | Polonnauwa| 118,694| 4| +1| 45,732| 1| −1| 6,457| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 5| 66%|-| style="text-align: left" | Badulla| style="text-align: left" rowspan="2" | Uva| 203,689| 6| +3| 112,886| 2| −3| 15,768| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 8| 65%|-| style="text-align: left" | Monaragala| 120,634| 4| +1| 28,892| 1| −1| 9,018| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 5| 56%|-| style="text-align: left" | Ratnapura| style="text-align: left" rowspan="2" | Sabaragamuwa| 305,327| 7 | +1| 125,076| 3| −1| 11,053| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 10| 65%|-| style="text-align: left" | Kegalle| 242,463| 7| +2| 104,925 | 2| −2| 13,518| 0| -| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3" | DNC| 0| 9| 63%|-| style="text-align: left" colspan="2" | National List| colspan="2" |17| +4| colspan="2" |9| −2| colspan="2" |2| +2| colspan="2" |1| −1| 0| 29| -|-| colspan=2 style="text-align:left;" | Total| 4,846,388| 144| +39| 2,357,057| 60| −22| 441,251| 7| +7| 233,190| 14| −8| 0| 225| 61%|-| style="background-color: #e9e9e9; text-align: left; border-right: none; font-size: smaller" colspan="17" | Source: Sri Lanka Department of Elections |}

Elected members

See main article: 14th Sri Lankan Parliament.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6th Parliament Dissolved. 10 February 2010. News and Events. Parliament of Sri Lanka. 13 February 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100304010205/http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewNews.do?recID=NWS1782. 4 March 2010. dead.
  2. Web site: Sirilal . Ranga . Sri Lanka ruling party records landslide win at polls . https://web.archive.org/web/20100424003754/http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Lanka+ruling+party+records+landslide+polls/2930916/story.html . dead . 2010-04-24 . Montrealgazette.com . 2010-04-21 .
  3. Web site: Department of Election . https://web.archive.org/web/20100421184637/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/parliamentary_elections/AICOM.html . dead . 2010-04-21 . Slelections.gov.lk . 2010-04-21 .
  4. News: Final Sri Lanka vote count confirms Rajapaksa triumph . Haviland . Charles. 21 April 2010. BBC News. 21 April 2010.
  5. Web site: Department of Election . Slelections.gov.lk . 2010-04-21 . 2013-01-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130121144238/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/ep.html . dead .
  6. News: The 7th Parliamentary Election Today. 8 April 2010. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 8 April 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100413155103/http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/7859.html. 13 April 2010.
  7. News: Shorter life span for minority govt.'s. https://web.archive.org/web/20110617024439/http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20040411/focus.htm. dead. June 17, 2011. Gnanadass. Wilson. 11 April 2004. The Sunday Leader. 8 April 2010.
  8. News: Sri Lanka's 14th Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse. 6 April 2004. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  9. Web site: Cabinet in crisis – JVP keeps out By Harinda Vidanage. Vidanage. Harinda. 11 April 2004. Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009.
  10. News: JVP boycotts UPFA cabinet swearing in ceremony. 10 April 2004. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  11. News: Opening of 13th Parliament today. 22 April 2004. Daily News, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605020055/http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/04/22/new02.html. 5 June 2011.
  12. News: UPFA gained huge ground after 2005. de Silva. Lakshmi. 25 November 2009. Daily News, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091128094940/http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/11/25/pol02.asp. 28 November 2009.
  13. News: SLMC dissident to be made Minister in UPFA government. 9 August 2004. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  14. News: CWC will support Kumaratunga's government – Thondaman. 3 September 2004. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  15. News: CWC announces unconditional support to UPFA Government. P. Krishnaswamy. 4 September 2004. Daily News, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605020331/http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/09/04/pol01.html. 5 June 2011.
  16. News: JVP leaves coalition Government. 16 June 2005. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  17. News: VP leaves Govt with regret. Weerasinghe. Chamikara. 17 June 2005. Daily News, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605020409/http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/06/17/. 5 June 2011.
  18. News: Two UNP parliamentarians cross over. 25 January 2006. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  19. Web site: Four senior UNPers join Sri Lanka govt. 25 January 2006. MahindaRajapaska.com. 28 November 2009. https://archive.today/20060527130704/http://www.mahindarajapaksa.com/LNews/jan2506_01.php. 27 May 2006. dead. dmy-all.
  20. News: UNP dissidents, SLMC join UPFA government, appointed ministers. 28 January 2007. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  21. News: 18 jumbos cross over. 29 January 2007. Daily News, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605020808/http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/01/29/. 5 June 2011. dead. dmy-all.
  22. News: Sri Lankan ruling party boosts parliamentary strength. 28 January 2007. People's Daily, China. 28 November 2009.
  23. News: Monks' party to join UPFA government. 30 January 2007. TamilNet. 8 April 2010.
  24. News: Parliament: Old faces in new places. Kirinde. Chandani. 4 February 2007. The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 8 April 2010.
  25. News: JHU decides to accept portfolio to support the President. 4 February 2007. The Nation, Sri Lanka. 8 April 2010.
  26. News: The Best Among Equals. Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema. 7 March 2010. The Sunday Leader. 8 April 2010. 17 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110617024458/http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/03/07/the-best-among-equals/. dead.
  27. News: SLMC resigns from Rajapaksa government. 12 December 2007. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  28. News: Why the SLMC quit the Rajapaska government. 16 December 2007. Nation, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303181819/http://www.nation.lk/2007/12/16/newsfe1.htm. 3 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  29. News: JVP dissidents form JNP. 12 May 2008. TamilNet. 28 November 2009.
  30. News: UPFA looks for strength in alliance with JVP as election fever hots up. 28 December 2008. The Nation, Sri Lanka. 28 November 2009. 14 March 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100314171514/http://www.nation.lk/2008/12/28/politics1.htm. dead.
  31. Web site: Department of Election . https://web.archive.org/web/20091209225523/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/news.html . dead . 2009-12-09 . Slelections.gov.lk . 2010-04-21 .
  32. Web site: Parliamentary Elections – 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20091209225523/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/news.html. dead. 9 December 2009. News. Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. 28 February 2010.
  33. News: Nominations for Parliamentary elections close. 26 February 2010. Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 28 February 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110604125846/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/cms/articleXYZ100000010.php?id=5298. 4 June 2011. dead.
  34. News: Battle of Titans in Colombo. Wellaboda. Ishtartha. 28 February 2010. News. The Nation, Sri Lanka. 28 February 2010. 18 April 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100418194139/http://www.nation.lk/2010/02/28/news1.htm. dead.
  35. News: Violence rages in Ampara, officials threaten boycott. 6 April 2010. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 April 2010.
  36. Web site: Monitoring election violence in Sri Lanka Parliamentary Election April 2010: Summary of incidents to date. 7 April 2010. Centre for Monitoring Election Violence. 21 April 2010.
  37. News: Sri Lanka's President Rajapaska's party looks set for election victory. Burke. Jason. 9 April 2010. The Guardian. 21 April 2010.
  38. Web site: Parliamentary General Elections –2010 Third interim report – 7th April 2010. 7 April 2010. People's Action for Free and Fair Elections. 21 April 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110722145811/http://www.paffrel.lk/pdf/3rd_interim_7april2010.pdf . 22 July 2011.
  39. News: Sri Lanka ruling party wins majority in parliament . 9 April 2010. BBC News. 21 April 2010.
  40. Web site: CaFFE Election Day Press Release. 8 April 2010. Campaign for Free and Fair Elections. 21 April 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100417012143/http://www.caffe.lk/CaFFE_Election_Day_Press_Release-5-2008.html. 17 April 2010.
  41. News: Some candidates violated the law – Asian monitors. Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera. 9 April 2010. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 April 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100411024438/http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/news/7945.html . 11 April 2010.
  42. Web site: N'pitiya repoll to be Gazetted . Dailymirror.lk . 2010-04-09 . 2010-04-21.
  43. Web site: Trinco results suspended . Dailymirror.lk . 2010-04-09 . 2010-04-21.
  44. http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/s/srilanka/srilanka2010leg.txt Elections to the National Assembly

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