The 2004 Sri Lankan provincial council election was held on 24 April 2004 and 10 July 2004 to elect members to seven provincial councils in Sri Lanka. No election was held in the eighth province, North Eastern, which had been governed directly by the national government since March 1990. The United People's Freedom Alliance, which was in power nationally, won all seven provinces.
Background
In an attempt to end the Sri Lankan Civil War the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed on 29 July 1987. One of the requirements of the accord was that the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the provinces. Accordingly on 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987. On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order. The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces. On 2 June 1988 elections were held for provincial councils for Central, Southern and Western provinces. The United National Party (UNP), which was in power nationally, won control of all seven provincial councils.
The Indo-Lanka Accord also required the merger of the Eastern and Northern provinces into one administrative unit. The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent. Crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion. On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Eastern and Northern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected council, creating the North Eastern Province. Elections in the newly merged North Eastern Province were held on 19 November 1988. The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, an Indian backed paramilitary group, won control of the North Eastern provincial council.
On 1 March 1990, just as the Indian Peace Keeping Force were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal, Chief Minister of the North Eastern Province, moved a motion in the North Eastern Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam. President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving the provincial council and imposing direct rule on the province.
The 2nd Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 1993 in seven provinces. The UNP retained control of six provincial councils but lost control of the largest provincial council, Western, to the opposition People's Alliance. A special election was held in Southern Province in 1994 after some UNP provincial councillors defected to the opposition. The PA won the election and took control of the Southern Provincial Council.
The 3rd Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 1999 in seven provinces. The PA, which was now in power nationally, managed to win the majority of seats in two provinces (North Central and North Western). It was also able to form a majority administration in the other five provinces with the support of smaller parties such as the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) . The UNP regained control of the Central Provincial Council in 2002 after the CWC councillors crossed over to the opposition.
Results The United People's Freedom Alliance, the successor to the PA, won all seven provinces.
Overall Party / Alliance Votes % SeatsUnited People's Freedom Alliance3,364,23957.68%227United National Party1 22,197,89237.68%140Sri Lanka Muslim Congress1119,7962.05%7Up-Country People's Front52,6390.90%3United Socialist Party21,3720.37%0Western People's Front15,8710.27%1Independents11,9760.21%0Ceylon Workers' Congress210,7200.18%1National Development Front10,4930.18%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya6,9810.12%0Democratic Unity Alliance6,2190.11%1United Lalith Front3,7650.06%0New Left Front3,5890.06%0Liberal Party1,4500.02%0United Sinhala Great Council1,3040.02%0United Muslim People's Alliance1,1390.02%0Sri Lanka Muslim Party7520.01%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front7300.01%0People's Liberation Solidarity Front6170.01%0Ruhuna People's Party3110.01%0National Democratic Party2870.00%0Sri Lanka National Front2240.00%0Democratic United National Front2180.00%0National People's Party1240.00%0Valid Votes5,832,708100.00%380Rejected Votes380,055Total Polled6,212,763Registered Electors11,121,889Turnout55.86%1. SLMC contested separately in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Western provinces, and with the UNP in Central and Uva provinces.2. CWC contested separately in Sabaragamuwa province and with the UNP in all other provinces.
Central Province Results of the 4th Central provincial council election held on 10 July 2004: Party / Alliance Kandy Matale Nuwara Eliya BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsUnited People's Freedom Alliance244,59554.17%1692,51056.12%689,19232.75%62426,29747.97%30United National Party202,26444.80%1469,30942.04%4138,57250.88%8410,14546.15%26Up-Country People's Front1,1350.69%036,93913.56%238,0744.28%2United Socialist Party1,0880.24%01,1520.70%03,8961.43%06,1360.69%0Independents3900.09%01200.07%02,1310.78%02,6410.30%0National Development Front1,3600.30%03990.24%05210.19%02,2800.26%0United Muslim People's Alliance9870.22%09870.11%0Liberal Party8600.32%08600.10%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya4190.09%01170.07%0760.03%06120.07%0National Democratic Party1780.04%01090.04%02870.03%0Ruhuna People's Party1610.04%0310.01%01920.02%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front760.02%0760.01%0National People's Party620.04%0620.01%0Sri Lanka Muslim Party530.03%0530.01%0Valid Votes451,518100.00%30164,857100.00%10272,327100.00%162888,702100.00%58Rejected Votes31,50212,46923,37567,346Total Polled483,020177,326295,702956,048Registered Electors880,635312,556436,2481,629,439Turnout54.85%56.73%67.78%58.67%
North Central Province Results of the 4th North Central provincial council election held on 10 July 2004: Party / Alliance Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats United People's Freedom Alliance187,97763.92%1491,06762.19%62279,04463.34%22United National Party89,16630.32%654,53437.24%4143,70032.62%10Sri Lanka Muslim Congress14,3914.89%114,3913.27%1United Socialist Party1,2170.41%06200.42%01,8370.42%0National Development Front8450.29%08450.19%0Independents2220.08%01300.09%03520.08%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya740.03%0540.04%01280.03%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front1260.04%01260.03%0United Sinhala Great Council730.02%0280.02%01010.02%0Valid Votes294,091100.00%21146,433100.00%102440,524100.00%33Rejected Votes21,6009,83131,431Total Polled315,691156,264471,955Registered Electors514,149254,061768,210Turnout61.40%61.51%61.44%
North Western Province Results of the 4th North Western provincial council election held on 24 April 2004: Party / Alliance Kurunegala Puttalam BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats United People's Freedom Alliance362,08459.85%20128,91657.10%92491,00059.10%31United National Party215,90535.69%1295,86842.46%7311,77337.53%19Sri Lanka Muslim Congress24,1734.00%224,1732.91%2National Development Front6230.10%04500.20%01,0730.13%0United Lalith Front8830.15%08830.11%0New Left Front4760.08%0890.04%05650.07%0Independents1780.03%01950.09%03730.04%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya2950.05%0480.02%03430.04%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front1450.02%0150.01%01600.02%0United Muslim People's Alliance1520.07%01520.02%0Sri Lanka Muslim Party830.01%0150.01%0980.01%0United Sinhala Great Council910.02%0910.01%0Sri Lanka National Front430.01%0430.01%0Ruhuna People's Party170.01%0170.00%0Valid Votes604,979100.00%34225,765100.00%162830,744100.00%52Rejected Votes28,0199,60037,619Total Polled632,998235,365868,363Registered Electors1,089,482450,0571,539,539Turnout58.10%52.30%56.40%
Sabaragamuwa Province Results of the 4th Sabaragamuwa provincial council election held on 10 July 2004: Party / Alliance Kegalle Ratnapura BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats United People's Freedom Alliance185,11258.90%11213,61961.07%152398,73160.04%28United National Party115,55136.77%7119,68134.22%8235,23235.42%15Ceylon Workers Congress4,2951.37%06,4251.84%110,7201.61%1Sri Lanka Muslim Congress6,7702.15%03,7311.07%010,5011.58%0United Socialist Party7980.25%01,2610.36%02,0590.31%0Up-Country People's Front1,8060.52%01,8060.27%0United Lalith Front5840.19%07070.20%01,2910.19%0National Development Front4230.13%05120.15%09350.14%0Western People's Front8540.24%08540.13%0Independents3390.11%05000.14%08390.13%0Liberal Party2620.07%02620.04%0United Sinhala Great Council840.03%0960.03%01800.03%0Democratic United National Front800.03%0830.02%01630.02%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya1580.05%01580.02%0Sri Lanka Muslim Party1330.04%01330.02%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front630.02%0520.01%01150.02%0National People's Party620.02%0620.01%0Ruhuna People's Party390.01%0390.01%0Valid Votes314,296100.00%18349,784100.00%242664,080100.00%44Rejected Votes19,77922,65242,431Total Polled334,075372,436706,511Registered Electors570,299647,0351,217,334Turnout58.58%57.56%58.04%
Southern Province Results of the 5th Southern provincial council election held on 10 July 2004: Party / Alliance Galle Hambantota Matara BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsUnited People's Freedom Alliance238,28562.50%14141,28370.12%8182,07664.30%122561,64464.86%36United National Party139,16836.51%958,32728.95%494,44833.35%6291,94333.72%19Independents3610.09%04090.20%04,6151.63%05,3850.62%0United Socialist Party2,2780.60%01,0040.50%05340.19%03,8160.44%0United Lalith Front4720.12%03480.12%08200.09%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya4110.11%0780.04%01820.06%06710.08%0People's Liberation Solidarity Front6170.22%06170.07%0United Sinhala Great Council1590.04%0560.03%01720.06%03870.04%0National Development Front2670.13%02670.03%0Liberal Party1860.07%01860.02%0Ruhuna People's Party940.02%0940.01%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front430.02%0430.00%0Sri Lanka National Front290.01%0290.00%0Valid Votes381,228100.00%23201,496100.00%12283,178100.00%182865,902100.00%55Rejected Votes23,63313,72516,99254,350Total Polled404,861215,221300,170920,252Registered Electors716,609384,361551,5061,652,476Turnout56.50%55.99%54.43%55.69%
Uva Province Results of the 4th Uva provincial council election held on 10 July 2004: Party / Alliance Badulla Monaragala BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats United People's Freedom Alliance169,19755.48%1297,87866.24%72267,07558.99%21United National Party119,17139.08%848,93033.12%4168,10137.13%12Up-Country People's Front12,7594.18%112,7592.82%1United Socialist Party2,3640.78%06160.42%02,9800.66%0National Development Front5230.17%05230.12%0Sri Lanka Muslim Party4680.15%04680.10%0Independents2310.08%01170.08%03480.08%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya2460.08%0650.04%03110.07%0Democratic United National Front550.04%0550.01%0Sri Lanka National Front390.03%0390.01%0United Sinhala Great Council330.02%0330.01%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front200.01%0200.00%0Valid Votes304,959100.00%21147,753100.00%112452,712100.00%34Rejected Votes25,62810,83136,459Total Polled330,587158,584489,171Registered Electors511,115262,742773,857Turnout64.68%60.36%63.21%
Western Province Results of the 4th Western provincial council election held on 10 July 2004: