The 1999 Sri Lankan provincial council election was held on 25 January 1999, 6 April 1999 and 10 June 1999 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 People's Alliance, which was in power nationally, won 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.

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.

Results 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.

Overall Party / Alliance Votes % SeatsPeople's Alliance13,133,65846.88%187United National Party2,761,86441.31%152Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna417,1686.24%25National Union of Workers (CWC, DWC)145,3502.17%9Mahajana Eksath Peramuna87,1651.30%3New Left Front63,5780.95%1Up-Country People's Front25,3690.38%2Independents22,4940.34%0Muslim United Liberation Front10,0510.15%0Sri Lanka Muslim Congress17,2300.11%1Liberal Party5,3290.08%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front2,5570.04%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya1,5400.02%0People's Liberation Solidarity Front1,2160.02%0People's Freedom Front3400.01%0Valid Votes6,684,909100.00%380Rejected VotesTotal PolledRegistered Electors9,991,293Turnout1. SLMC contested separately in Kalutara District, and with the PA in other districts.

Central Province Results of the 3rd Central provincial council election held on 6 April 1999: Party / Alliance Kandy Matale Nuwara Eliya BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsPeople's Alliance247,25047.54%95,11551.38%79,26429.18%2421,62943.17%26United National Party232,93444.79%70,70538.20%88,02032.41%391,65940.10%23National Union of Workers (CWC)16,9543.26%9,3065.03%69,44125.57%95,7019.80%6Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna16,0653.09%18,0104.33%4,9091.81%28,9842.97%1Up-Country People's Front22,8968.43%222,8962.34%2Mahajana Eksath Peramuna4,4330.85%1,4530.78%8110.30%6,6970.69%0Independents8530.16%5160.28%2,7311.01%4,1000.42%0New Left Front3,5411.30%3,5410.36%0Liberal Party8810.17%8810.09%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front6890.13%6890.07%0Valid Votes520,059100.00%185,105100.00%271,613100.00%2976,777100.00%58Rejected Votes45,00016,25730,85392,110Total Polled565,059201,362302,4661,068,887Registered Electors780,232281,089391,5851,452,906Turnout72.42%71.64%77.24%73.57%

North Central Province Results of the 3rd North Central provincial council election held on 6 April 1999: Party / Alliance Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats People's Alliance156,29154.09%75,46652.01%2231,75753.39%19United National Party111,28538.51%60,02241.37%171,30739.46%12Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna14,1974.91%8,4985.86%22,6955.23%2New Left Front4,2591.47%4,2590.98%0Mahajana Eksath Peramuna1,1500.40%3940.27%1,5440.36%0Independents8610.30%8610.20%0Muslim United Liberation Front7980.28%7980.18%0Liberal Party3880.27%3880.09%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya3340.23%3340.08%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front1310.05%1310.03%0Valid Votes288,972100.00%145,102100.00%2434,074100.00%33Rejected Votes22,15310,25532,408Total Polled311,125155,357466,482Registered Electors448,098217,318665,416Turnout69.43%71.49%70.10%

North Western Province Results of the 3rd North Western provincial council election held on 25 January 1999: Party / Alliance Kurunegala Puttalam BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats People's Alliance405,43156.16%20160,72256.97%82566,15356.39%30United National Party273,89237.94%13105,87637.53%6379,76837.82%19Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna31,2214.32%210,7593.81%141,9804.18%3New Left Front9,4561.31%03,3611.19%012,8171.28%0Muslim United Liberation Front9710.13%05420.19%01,5130.15%0Liberal Party6760.09%02020.07%08780.09%0Independents3090.04%05400.19%08490.08%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front1260.04%01260.01%0Valid Votes721,956100.00%35282,128100.00%1521,004,084100.00%52Rejected VotesTotal PolledRegistered Electors960,241398,0551,358,296Turnout

Sabaragamuwa Province Results of the 3rd Sabaragamuwa provincial council election held on 6 April 1999: Party / Alliance Kegalle Ratnapura BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats People's Alliance165,04147.70%191,50247.92%2356,54347.82%22United National Party158,50345.81%175,91244.02%334,41544.85%19Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna15,5374.49%117,2004.30%132,7374.39%2National Union of Workers (CWC)4,3511.26%7,5861.90%11,9371.60%1New Left Front5,0471.26%5,0470.68%0Mahajana Eksath Peramuna1,5520.45%1,6240.41%3,1760.43%0Liberal Party9830.28%9830.13%0Independents5920.15%5920.08%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front1940.05%1940.03%0Valid Votes345,967100.00%399,657100.00%2745,624100.00%44Rejected Votes23,74929,36253,111Total Polled369,716429,019798,735Registered Electors528,107584,9981,113,105Turnout70.01%73.34%71.76%

Southern Province Results of the 4th Southern provincial council election held on 10 June 1999: Party / Alliance Galle Hambantota Matara BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsPeople's Alliance214,71446.70%1189,48339.11%6157,76246.36%82461,95944.90%27United National Party188,92141.09%982,78636.19%5130,84338.45%7402,55039.13%21Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna38,8178.44%247,29620.67%340,27611.84%2126,38912.28%7Independents5,1201.11%02,8241.23%06,0411.78%013,9851.36%0New Left Front4,9811.08%04,8692.13%02,9060.85%012,7561.24%0Mahajana Eksath Peramuna5,4961.20%01,0440.46%01,1600.34%07,7000.75%0People's Liberation Solidarity Front4440.10%03240.14%04480.13%01,2160.12%0Liberal Party3400.07%01500.07%02980.09%07880.08%0Muslim United Liberation Front7390.16%07390.07%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya3990.12%03990.04%0People's Freedom Front1970.04%01430.04%03400.03%0Valid Votes459,769100.00%22228,776100.00%14340,276100.00%1721,028,821100.00%55Rejected VotesTotal PolledRegistered Electors652,734342,498510,3101,505,542

Uva Province Results of the 3rd Uva provincial council election held on 6 April 1999: Party / Alliance Badulla Monaragala BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats People's Alliance140,29344.69%66,87045.35%2207,16344.90%17United National Party137,43743.78%65,34044.31%202,77743.95%14Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna12,1063.86%10,2926.98%22,3984.85%2National Union of Workers (CWC)19,2246.12%1,9271.31%21,1514.58%1Mahajana Eksath Peramuna1,9800.63%4190.28%2,3990.52%0Up-Country People's Front2,4730.79%2,4730.54%0New Left Front2,1821.48%2,1820.47%0Independents4070.13%3740.25%7810.17%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front500.03%500.01%0Valid Votes313,920100.00%147,454100.00%2461,374100.00%34Rejected Votes29,39613,97643,372Total Polled343,316161,430504,746Registered Electors454,913224,077678,990Turnout75.47%72.04%74.34%

Western Province Results of the 3rd Western provincial council election held on 6 April 1999: Party / Alliance Colombo Gampaha Kalutara BonusSeats TotalVotes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsPeople's Alliance313,57638.98%17376,17648.30%17198,70244.08%102888,45443.68%46United National Party362,63645.07%19317,69840.79%15199,05444.16%10879,38843.23%44Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna55,3616.88%358,2777.48%328,3476.29%2141,9856.98%8Mahajana Eksath Peramuna43,0085.35%215,4921.99%17,1491.59%065,6493.23%3New Left Front9,1401.14%18,4091.08%05,4271.20%022,9761.13%1National Union of Workers (DWC)12,5101.55%14,0510.90%016,5610.81%1Sri Lanka Muslim Congress7,2301.60%17,2300.36%1Muslim United Liberation Front5,0870.63%01,3470.17%05670.13%07,0010.34%0Liberal Party1,4110.18%01,4110.07%0Sri Lanka Progressive Front4950.06%06630.09%02090.05%01,3670.07%0Independents1,3260.16%01,3260.07%0Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya8070.10%08070.04%0Valid Votes804,550100.00%43778,869100.00%36450,736100.00%2322,034,155100.00%104Rejected Votes50,43548,26228,441127,138Total Polled854,985827,131479,1772,161,293Registered Electors1,326,4871,213,589676,9623,217,038Turnout64.45%68.16%70.78%67.18%

References

Other sources