The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) swept to victory in the historic Northern Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka securing a twothirds majority on Sunday, signifying the beginning of a credible opposition in the island nation’s politics.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance, however, put up a face-saving performance in the Tamil dominated province winning 36 seats in the 58-member Central Province and 34 seats in the 52-member North Western Province. The elections were held on Saturday.
The TNA won 30 out of 38 seats (28 direct and 2 bonus seats), while the UPFA got seven seats and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won one seat. While TNA got 3,53,595 (78.48%) of the total votes, UPFA secured 82,838 (18.38%) of the votes. SLMC secured 6,761 (1.5%) votes in the election. The elections, held after 25 years, recorded a 67.5% turnout.
While the TNA secured 14 seats in Jaffna district, it got three each in Mannar and Kilinochchi districts and four seats each in Mullaitivu and Vavunia districts in preferential votes.
The ruling UPFA has secured two seats each in Jaffna and Vavunia districts and each one in all other three districts. The SLMC won one seat in Mannar district.
Interestingly, two Sinhalese and three Muslims have been elected for the Northern Council in this election.
Ananthy Sasitharan, wife of former LTTE leader, is the only woman representative in the council and she is also expected to be inducted in the cabinet. The TNA will now form the first functioning provincial government in the northern Tamil heartland.
Former Supreme Court Judge C V Wigneswaran, 74, would assume charge as the first chief minister of Northern Province.
“The cabinet formation would be decided in few days,” senior TNA MP Sampanthan said.
The TNA won more than 84% of the votes in Jaffna, once the heartland of LTTE, 81% in Kilinochchi, the defacto capital of the separatists, and 78% in Mullaitivu, where thousands of civilians were said to have been killed in May 2009 when government forces moved in to defeat the rebels.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance, however, put up a face-saving performance in the Tamil dominated province winning 36 seats in the 58-member Central Province and 34 seats in the 52-member North Western Province. The elections were held on Saturday.
The TNA won 30 out of 38 seats (28 direct and 2 bonus seats), while the UPFA got seven seats and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won one seat. While TNA got 3,53,595 (78.48%) of the total votes, UPFA secured 82,838 (18.38%) of the votes. SLMC secured 6,761 (1.5%) votes in the election. The elections, held after 25 years, recorded a 67.5% turnout.
While the TNA secured 14 seats in Jaffna district, it got three each in Mannar and Kilinochchi districts and four seats each in Mullaitivu and Vavunia districts in preferential votes.
The ruling UPFA has secured two seats each in Jaffna and Vavunia districts and each one in all other three districts. The SLMC won one seat in Mannar district.
Interestingly, two Sinhalese and three Muslims have been elected for the Northern Council in this election.
Ananthy Sasitharan, wife of former LTTE leader, is the only woman representative in the council and she is also expected to be inducted in the cabinet. The TNA will now form the first functioning provincial government in the northern Tamil heartland.
Former Supreme Court Judge C V Wigneswaran, 74, would assume charge as the first chief minister of Northern Province.
“The cabinet formation would be decided in few days,” senior TNA MP Sampanthan said.
The TNA won more than 84% of the votes in Jaffna, once the heartland of LTTE, 81% in Kilinochchi, the defacto capital of the separatists, and 78% in Mullaitivu, where thousands of civilians were said to have been killed in May 2009 when government forces moved in to defeat the rebels.
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