UPFA wins 5 councils, UNP 4 in local polls

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 May 2006, 05:59 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won five councils and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) four in the elections held Saturday for twenty local government authorities located in the Western, Southern, Central and Eastern provinces, election department sources said.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) captured four councils, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) one, Muslim National Congress (MNC) one, National Development Alliance (NDA) one and the rest four went to independent groups, sources said.

The NDA captured power in the Elpitya Pradesiya Saba in the Matara district.

In the Batticaloa district, of the three local government authorities went to polls, two were won by independent groups and one by the ruling UPFA. The two independent groups are said to be supporting the SLMC, sources said.