Mahara Electoral District

Mahara electoral district was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Mahara in Gampaha District, Western 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] Mahara electoral district was replaced by the Gampaha multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections.

Members of Parliament

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Key

  Independent   SLFP   UNP

Election Member Party Term
1960 (March) S. K. K. Suriarachchi Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1960
1960 (July) 1960-1965
1965 1965-1970
1970 1970-1977
1977 Tudor Gunasekara United National Party 1977-1983
1983 parliamentary by-election Kamalawarana Jayakody United National Party 1983-1988

Elections

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1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election

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Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960:[2]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
S. K. K. Suriarachchi Sri Lanka Freedom Party Hand 15,098 51.99
Siridatta Jayakody United National Party Elephant 9,002 30.99
G. P. Abeywickrema Cartwheel 1,971 6.79
J. B. Siriwardena Key 1,561 5.38
Olive Amarasekera Umbrella 386 1.33
J. A. K. Perera Star 297 1.02
R. A. Rupasinghe Lamp 186 0.64
D. R. Jayamanne Scales 147 0.51
D. C. Jayakody Book 85 0.29
Valid Votes 28,823 99.25
Rejected Votes 218 0.75
Total Polled 29,041 100.00
Registered Electors 35,120
Turnout 82.69

1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election

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Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960:[3]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
S. K. K. Suriarachchi Hand 17,791 65.07
Oscar de Levera Elephant 8,991 32.88
Dayapani Seneviratne Cartwheel 416 1.52
Valid Votes 27,198 99.47
Rejected Votes 145 0.53
Total Polled 27,143 100.00
Registered Electors 35,120
Turnout 77.86

1965 Parliamentary General Election

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Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965:[4]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
S. K. K. Suriarachchi Sri Lanka Freedom Party Hand 20,573 55.49
D. S. Gunasekera United National Party Elephant 15,665 42.25
Reginald Pieries Chair 633 1.71
Valid Votes 36,871 99.45
Rejected Votes 204 0.55
Total Polled 37,075 100.00
Registered Electors 43,874
Turnout 84.50

1970 Parliamentary General Election

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Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970:[5]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
S. K. K. Suriarachchi Sri Lanka Freedom Party Hand 27,679 61.88
Tudor Gunasekara United National Party Elephant 16,883 37.75
Valid Votes 44,562 99.63
Rejected Votes 167 0.37
Total Polled 44,729 100.00
Registered Electors 51,464
Turnout 86.91

1977 Parliamentary General Election

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Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977 for the district:[6]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
Tudor Gunasekara United National Party Elephant 25,016 51.42
S. K. K. Suriarachchi Sri Lanka Freedom Party Hand 22,384 46.01
J. A. K. Perera Star 935 1.92
K. P. D. Karunawansa Chair 101 0.21
Ananda Maddumage Lamp 98 0.20
Valid Votes 48,534 99.75
Rejected Votes 121 0.25
Total Polled 48,655 100.00
Registered Electors 54,264
Turnout 89.66

1983 Parliamentary By-Election

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In early 1983 Gunasekara resigned as the member for Mahara,[7] with nominations being called to fill the vacancy, closing 22 April. The results of the 1983 parliamentary by-election held on 18 May for the electorate:[8]

Candidate Party Symbol Votes %
Kamalawarana Jayakody United National Party Elephant 24,944 47.99
Vijaya Kumaranatunga Sri Lanka Freedom Party Hand 24,899 47.90
S. K. K. Suriarachchi Independent Scales 1,837 3.53
R. P. G. Rajapakse Butterfly 76 0.15
Loku Pulukkuttige Premadasa Chair 48 0.09
Valid Votes 51,804 99.66
Rejected Votes 177 0.34
Total Polled 51,981 100.00
Registered Electors 65,660
Turnout 79.17

References

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  1. ^ "The Electoral System". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  2. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election March 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election July 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  7. ^ "Daily Report: South Asia". 83 (22–40). Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1983: 22. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "Result of the Parliamentary By-Elections held between 1947 and 1988" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.