(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna led by former Minister Prof.G. L. Peiris contesting under the Pohottuwa symbol succeeded in winning over 230 local government institutions that went to poll on Saturday.
The SLPP is far ahead of other political parties in the fray in many districts including Kalutara, Galle, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Moneragala losing many UNP and SLFP bastions. Significant among those were the Moratuwa Municipal Council and the Horana Urban Council.
The SLPP gained control of almost all local government bodies in the Kegalle, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura districts while the United National party won 37 Local government bodies in the Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Kalutara districts. The UPFA wrested control of over nine bodies while the ITAK gained control of 28 bodies.The Ceylon Workers Congress won five institutions in the up country while the SLMC has wrested control of three institutions.
The UNP retained control of the Colombo Municipal Council with a lead of over 70,000 votes against the SLPP by securing 60 seats in the council. The UNP polled 131,351 votes while the SLPP polled 60,087 votes.
At the time this paper went to press, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United People’s Freedom Alliance had gained control of nine Local Government bodies including the Haputale Urban Council, Badulla Pradeshiya Sabha, Lankapura Pradeshiya Sabha and the Katthankudy Pradeshiya Sabha.
The UNP gained control of four Local government bodies, namely the Seethavakapura Pradeshiya Sabha,Colombo Municipal Council, the Dehiwala – Mount Lavinia MC and the Kolonnawa Muncipal Council in the Colombo district.
Election monitors confirmed that the 2018 Local Government election is the most peaceful election ever held in the country after a lapse of several decades.They said that no major incident was recorded from any part of the country and no death was reported as a result of election related violence.
The SLPP secured the control of all local government bodies in the Galle district except the Galle Muncipal Council while UNP secured the Weligama Urban council with a majority of over 4,000 votes against the SLPP. However the UNP retained the control of Wattala-Mabola Urban Council and the Negombo Muncipal council in the Gampaha district.
The party also won the Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha, Mannar Musali Pradeshiya Sabha, Addalaichenai Pradeshiya Sabha,Badulla Muncipal Council and Kalutara Urban Council.
Of 13 local government bodies in the Colombo district, the SLPP managed to wrest control of ten bodies while the party won 17 out of 19 local government bodies in the Gampaha district. The UNP won five LG bodies in the Kandy district while the SLPP secured control of 17 institutions.
SLPP won all LG bodies except the Matale Municipal Council.The UNP gained control of four LG bodies in the Nuwara Eliya district while the Ceylon Worker’s Congress won five bodies in the district.
The SLPP also gained control of theThalawakelle- Lindula Urban Council, Hanguranketha Pradeshiya Sabha and the Walapane Pradeshiya Sabha.
(www.dailynews.lk)
