EPDP gets four seats in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2000, 12:26 GMT]
The Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) won the majority of the seats in Jaffna said election officials in the north Wednesday afternoon. The pro-government Tamil group secured four seats with 41,671 votes amidst allegations of rigging. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) got three seats. The United National Party (UNP) won a seat in Jaffna after 48 years. The All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) secured one seat. There are nine Parliamentary seats in the electoral district of Jaffna.

A UNP candidate, Mr R.R Nallaiah, won a seat in Jaffna in 1952. The UNP has not been able to win any election in Jaffna since then.

Now for the first time in 48 years, a UNPer, Mr.Thiyagarajah Maheswaran, the chief candidate of the party in Jaffna has been elected.

The EPDP is yet to announce the names of its MPs.

TULF said that Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Mr.V Anandasangari and N.Sivamaharaja have been elected.

The following are the votes obtained by the main parties that contested the elections in Jaffna:

Jaffna electoral district
Parties	Votes	No. of seats
EPDP	41,671	04
TULF	32,852	03
UNP	11,431	01
ACTC	10,468	01
DPLF*	4,8857	0

*DPLF: Democratic People's Liberation Front (PLOTE-EROS alliance)