Vavuniya Electoral District

Vavuniya Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Vavuniya in Vavuniya District, Northern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing members of Parliament. The existing 160 mainly single-member electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral districts.[1] Vavuniya electoral district was replaced by the Vanni multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections, the first under the PR system, though Vavuniya continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district.

Members of Parliament edit

Key

  Independent   All Ceylon Tamil Congress   Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi   TULF

Election Member Party Term
1947 C. Suntharalingam Independent 1947-1952
1952 1952-1956
1956 1956-1960
1960 (March) 1960-1960
1960 (July) T. Sivasithamparam 1960-1965
1965 All Ceylon Tamil Congress 1965-1970
1970 X. M. Sellathambu Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi 1970-1977
1977 T. Sivasithamparam Tamil United Liberation Front 1977-1989

Elections edit

1947 Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 1st parliamentary election held between 23 August 1947 and 20 September 1947:[2]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
C. Suntharalingam Independent Tree 4,026 66.61%
  T. M. Sabaratnam All Ceylon Tamil Congress Spoon 2,018 33.39%
Valid Votes 6,044 100.00%
Rejected Votes 132
Total Polled 6,176
Registered Electors 11,099
Turnout 55.64%

1952 Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952:[3]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
C. Suntharalingam Independent Star 6,019 66.83%
U. B. Dassanayake Independent Key 1,497 16.62%
  T. M. Sabaratnam All Ceylon Tamil Congress Umbrella 1,398 15.52%
K. Vellupillai Independent Chair 93 1.03%
Valid Votes 9,007 100.00%
Rejected Votes 104
Total Polled 9,111
Registered Electors 13,093
Turnout 69.59%

1956 Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 3rd parliamentary election held between 5 April 1956 and 10 April 1956:[4]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
C. Suntharalingam Ind (Tamil Resistance Front) Tree 6,853 78.69%
P. Tharmalingam Independent Cart Wheel 1,856 21.31%
Valid Votes 8,709 100.00%
Rejected Votes 69
Total Polled 8,778
Registered Electors 15,946
Turnout 55.05%

1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960:[5]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
T. Sivasithamparam Independent Sun 5,370 43.28%
C. Suntharalingam Independent Ship 4,231 34.10%
P. Muthiah Orange 1,469 11.84%
  S. Subramaniam Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi[6] House 1,338 10.78%
Valid Votes 12,408 100.00%
Rejected Votes 107
Total Polled 12,515
Registered Electors 18,469
Turnout 67.76%

1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960:[7]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
T. Sivasithamparam Independent Bicycle 7,393 57.71%
  G. B. Vincent Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi[6] House 5,418 42.29%
Valid Votes 12,811 100.00%
Rejected Votes 56
Total Polled 12,867
Registered Electors 18,469
Turnout 69.67%

1965 Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965:[8]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
  T. Sivasithamparam All Ceylon Tamil Congress Bicycle 7,265 40.33%
  G. B. Vincent Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi[6] House 4,512 25.05%
C. Suntharalingam Tree 3,952 21.94%
V. Siriwardhana Chair 872 4.84%
Ariyawansa Goonasekera Umbrella 744 4.13%
  W. S. Perera Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Cart Wheel 436 2.42%
S. Sirinivasan Independent Pair of Scales 231 1.28%
Valid Votes 18,012 100.00%
Rejected Votes 130
Total Polled 18,142
Registered Electors 24,701
Turnout 73.45%

1970 Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970:[9]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
  X. M. Sellathambu Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi[6] House 10,947 42.99%
  T. Sivasithamparam All Ceylon Tamil Congress Bicycle 10,674 41.92%
  S. Pathmanathan Communist Party Star 3,120 12.25%
S. M. K. Subasinghe Pair of Scales 584 2.29%
A. D. A. Seneviratne Tree 137 0.54%
Valid Votes 25,462 100.00%
Rejected Votes 116
Total Polled 25,578
Registered Electors 31,650
Turnout 80.82%

1977 Parliamentary General Election edit

Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977:[10]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
  T. Sivasithamparam Tamil United Liberation Front Sun 13,821 59.02%
  K. T. Pulendran United National Party Elephant 9,444 40.33%
Udayarege Subasinghe Eye 151 0.64%
Valid Votes 23,416 100.00%
Rejected Votes 80
Total Polled 23,496
Registered Electors 28,450
Turnout 82.59%

T. Sivasithamparam and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from Sri Lankan Tamil militants not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state; and the Black July riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese mobs. After three months of absence, Sivasithamparam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 5 October 1983.[11]

References & footnotes edit

  1. ^ "The Electoral System". Parliament of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  2. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  3. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  4. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  5. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1960-03-19" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-12. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  6. ^ a b c d Also known as the Federal Party
  7. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1960-07-20" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  8. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  9. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  10. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  11. ^ Wickramasinghe, Wimal (18 January 2008). "Saga of crossovers, expulsions and resignations etc. Referendum for extention [sic] of Parliament". The Island, Sri Lanka.