Sri Lanka local polls swept by ruling party

Lanka Business Online
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Sri Lanka's ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance of president Mahinda Rajapaksa has comfortably swept local government elections winning most of the 200 plus local bodies in which results were declared.

The main opposition was trailing in third place by mid morning Friday, with results in 234 local bodies being declared. The UPFA has won 205, Tamil National Alliance going by the acronym ITAK, which contests mainly in the north and the east 12, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 04, Up Country Peoples Front 01.

The Marxist-Nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, a former coalition ally which later backed defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka failed to win a single local body.

It lost Tissamharama Pradeshiya Sabha, deep in president Rajapaksa's home constituency in Hambantota in the south of the country.

Elections in some areas were postponed after prospective candidates whose lists were rejected by the election went to court. Polls in Colombo city, a traditional opposition stronghold, were also not held.

In the areas that elections were held, the UPFA had polled around 55 percent, the UNP 33 percent and the JVP and other parties collectively about 8.0 percent.

The ruling coalition is riding high on a war victory in 2009 and strong economic growth in 2010 though inflation has been rising and food prices have been generally high due to protectionist agricultural policy.

The elections was marred by at least one death following clashes between supporters of the ruling coalition and voter turnout was low by Sri Lankan standards of around 50 percent according to reports.

© LBO