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1998 Sri Lankan local elections

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Local government elections were held in Sri Lanka on 29 January 1998 for 17 local councils on the Jaffna peninsula, in the north of the country. They were the first local elections held in the peninsula since 1983.

Background

The Sri Lankan government suspended local government in the north-east of the country in 1983 using Emergency Regulations.[1] In March 1994 elections were held in the east and in Vavuniya in the north. However, elections weren't held in other areas of the north, including the Jaffna peninsula, because most of these areas were at that time controlled by the rebel Tamil Tigers.

In August 1995 the Sri Lankan Military launched an offensive to recapture the Jaffna peninsula. By December 1995 the military had captured most of the Valikamam region of the peninsula, including the city of Jaffna. By 16 May 1996 the military had recaptured the entire peninsula.[2] In late 1996 the government announced elections would be held for 23 local bodies in Jaffna District, Kilinochchi District, Mannar District and Vavuniya District but following opposition from Tamil political parties postponed them.[3] On 3 December 1997 the government announced that elections would be held for the 17 local bodies on the Jaffna peninsula.[4] Elections were held on 29 January 1998.

Results

Local Council
 Admin
District
 EPDP
Votes
 EPDP
Seats
 DPLF
(PLOTE)
Votes
 DPLF
(PLOTE)
Seats
 EPRLF
Votes
 EPRLF
Seats
 TELO
Votes
 TELO
Seats
 TULF
Votes
 TULF
Seats
 Ind
(EPDP)
Votes
 Ind
(EPDP)
Seats
 Total
Votes
 Total
Seats
 Reje-
cted
Votes
 Total
Polled
 Regis-
tered
Electors
 Turnout
%
Chavakachcheri PS Jaffna 3,103 4 3,460 7 2,091 3 742 1 9,396 15 2,504 11,900 39,871 29.85%
Chavakachcheri UC Jaffna 680 2 1,146 6 835 3 99 0 2,760 11 527 3,287 14,802 22.21%
Delft PS Jaffna 1,484 8 293 1 13 0 10 0 1,800 9 125 1,925 4,209 45.74%
Jaffna MC Jaffna 2,963 6 3,182 6 943 2 3,540 9 10,628 23 907 11,535 82,667 13.95%
Kayts PS Jaffna 2,771 9 536 1 51 0 57 0 411 1 3,826 11 269 4,095 30,340 13.50%
Nallur PS Jaffna 2,064 7 921 2 847 2 417 1 4,249 12 554 4,803 32,814 14.64%
Pachchilaippallai PS Kilinochchi 377 2 731 5 362 2 114 0 1,584 9 385 1,969 7,463 26.38%
Point Pedro PS Jaffna 2,208 5 859 1 1,459 2 549 1 5,075 9 1,177 6,252 29,929 20.89%
Point Pedro UC Jaffna 656 2 1,301 6 122 0 157 1 2,236 9 374 2,610 12,721 20.52%
Vadamarachchi South West PS Jaffna 3,888 9 2,940 6 554 0 1,236 2 8,618 17 1,868 10,486 45,214 23.19%
Valikamam East PS Jaffna 3,978 9 2,975 5 2,909 5 752 2 10,614 21 1,711 12,325 54,386 22.66%
Valikamam North PS Jaffna 1,799 6 528 2 816 2 144 0 2,821 11 6,108 21 469 6,577 53,697 12.25%
Valikamam South PS Jaffna 3,542 8 2,659 5 1,121 2 496 1 7,818 16 939 8,757 41,444 21.13%
Valikamam South West PS Jaffna 4,069 10 1,281 3 578 1 815 2 6,743 16 1,213 7,956 41,856 19.01%
Valikamam West PS Jaffna 3,146 8 2,358 4 327 1 494 1 6,325 14 1,307 7,632 37,746 20.22%
Valvettithurai UC Jaffna 283 2 151 1 54 0 736 6 1,224 9 255 1,479 11,128 13.29%
Velanai PS Jaffna 1,715 8 255 1 58 0 56 0 508 2 2,592 11 284 2,876 31,199 9.22%
Total 38,726 105 25,576 62 13,140 25 6,874 18 6,361 20 919 3 91,596 233 14,868 106,464 571,486 18.63%

Aftermath

The normal life term of Sri Lankan local government bodies is four years. The life term of the above 17 local gcouncils expired in February 2002 but the central government extended this by another year, as the law allows. Elections should have been held when the extension expired in February 2003 but in January 2003, following a request from the Tamil National Alliance, the central government instead dissolved the local councils and instead put in place special commissions to administer the local areas.[5]

The Jaffna peninsula continues to be administered by these special commissions but elections are scheduled to take place on 8 August 2009 for Jaffna Municipal Council only.

References

  • "Election commissioner releases results". TamilNet. 30 January 1998. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  • D.B.S. Jeyaraj (15 February 1998). "The Jaffna Elections". Tamil Times. XVII (2): 12–15. ISSN 0266-4488.
  1. ^ "TNA urges PM to put off NE local polls". TamilNet. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  2. ^ Amit Baruha (14 June 1996). "The Army Takes Jaffna". Frontline.
  3. ^ "Local Elections Postponed". Tamil Times. XV (12): 5–6. 15 December 1996. ISSN 0266-4488.
  4. ^ "Local Elections in Jaffna". Tamil Times. XVI (12): 5–6. 15 December 1997. ISSN 0266-4488.
  5. ^ "Jaffna local bodies to be administered by special commissioners". TamilNet. 14 January 2003. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
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