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With 47% of the popular vote won thus far, The United Peoples Freedom Alliance(UPFA) led by Sri Lankan President Mm. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is just about ready to form the next Government following the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Elections which despite a few snags in the North, North East and the Kandy District which may be subjected to a re-voting process and some ironing out to do in sorting out priorities relative to mustering support from other elected allies towards a minority Government in the event of an unsecured majority by the UPFA seems a likely eventuality.

This Election has turned out to be a much more fortuitous and peaceful one than the previous and the voters have sent Ranil Wickremasinghe's former UNF Administration a strong message that their effort towards governing in the four years past has been viewed rather circumspectly by the people of Sri Lanka.The inability to secure issues such as the Nation's crumbling economy, high cost of living, high crime, governmental mismanagement and the Nation's Security and Territorial Integrity have overridden the Peace Initiative which appears to have been of little or no consequence despite the pitch in the UNF Election manifesto that it was cause enough for re-election which Mr. Wickremasinghe has now been greatly disillusioned about. It has to be borne in mind also that to the chagrin and misfortune of the UNF, the Peace Process was at an impasse at the time of the election and probably went against them and ruled as incompetence accompanied by the ever increasing pressure from the LTTE in constant pursuit of their own objectives envisioning the UNF as pawns which too appears to have been dealt a severe body blow as the Nation has indicated the choice of Madam President as the better option of leadership to deal with the LTTE issue!

Despite speculations in some quarters that the Wickremasinghe entourage might attempt to woo the TNA and fragmented areas of Muslim allies and their secured seats towards a UNF coalition it would be foolhardy and a loss of face to the UNF should such a scenario transpire as it would probably not only lack the required head count but also lay bare the long rumored and suspected allegations of LTTE / UNF collaboration which logically the Wickremasinghe Administration would want no part of and would be well advised to stay away from towards their own credibilities which appear to have been seriously questioned at the end of the run in this election.

The conjoining of the elected Buddhist Monks and supportive Tamil and Muslim Allies seems a logical assumption towards the support base of the next Government for Mm. Kumaratunga and a unique and historic coming together which will weave a multi cultural and religious fabric as an important consideration towards Governance and perhaps a milestone in Sri Lanka's political history which would create a precedence of inspiration towards a unity which the UNF led Wickremasinghe seems to have sadly missed having declined many calls to National Unity and reconciliation by the President as they chose to be alienated and project their defeat which does not augur well towards their intentions on a broader base towards the well being of the Nation as a whole!

The Latest BBC report has summed up the outcome of the elections in the most comprehensive of terms by saying that quote" The gains made by the UPFA look like an endorsement of President Kumaratunga's condemnation of Prime Minister Wickramasinghe's handling of the peace process with the Tamil Tigers." end quote and a euphemism which has the likeness to a bitter pill swallowed by the BBC which sometimes prefers to indulge in bipartisan pro- Wickremasinghe rhetoric!

The voter turnout, a record and the monitoring of each polling station were significant features of this election and the relative peace, tranquility and calm with which it progressed is a highly commendable accomplishment by the Elections Authorities although as expected there have been reports of isolated incidents in the LTTE supportive areas which nonetheless have been of little significance towards the outcome of the election despite observations of vote rigging, ballot stuffing and impersonations.As pre- arranged by the Elections Department any suspicious activities will set in place plan B which would initiate a re-election within Election Statutes in the affected areas and probably slow down the release of final facts and figures as a worst case scenario.

Reports indicate that Tamils in the North and North east of Sri Lanka have supported the LTTE backed TNA the Tamil National Alliance where synonymously election monitors have called for a re-poll on observations that voting in Tamil-majority areas was marred by "wide-spread rigging" and voter fraud."

The courage of some voters opposed to the TNA in the face of LTTE intimidations and threats in predominantly Tamil and Muslim Areas of the North and North East is commendable and praiseworthy as there can be no tolerance of an outlawed terror group's attempt to influence the Elections to their advantage and the same must be said of the sporadic incidents involving the other parties in their attempts to disrupt proceedings yet insignificant by way of effect and the end result where sense and sensibility has prevailed in most cases.

Despite an arduous road ahead for the UPFA and their success tin this Election not tumultuous at present albeit some million odd votes yet to be counted perhaps a time to view the significance of the traditional Betel Leaf in proper perspective in saying Jayawewa!

Sri Lanka Parliamentary Election of April 2nd 2004

Contested seats: 225

Total ballots: 10 million - 6 million counted

Freedom Alliance: 47%

United National Party: 39%
Tamil National Alliance: 6%
Buddhist party: 6%

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