Rajapaksa party wins Jaffna polls

In the first post war elections in Sri Lanka after the defeat of the LTTE, a pro-Tiger party today won the municipal poll in Vavuniya, an indication that the separatists still attract popular support, even as President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition won the prestigious Jaffna local elections.

In the first post war elections in Sri Lanka after the defeat of the LTTE, a pro-Tiger party today won the municipal poll in Vavuniya, an indication that the separatists still attract popular support, even as President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition won the prestigious Jaffna local elections.

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Riding high on his popularity after the defeat of the LTTE rebels, Rajapaksa's coalition won the Jaffna municipal elections in the once embattled north, even as the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance secured the Vavuniya council.

The ruling United Party Freedom Alliance (UPFA), however, registered a landslide victory in the Sinhala dominated Central Uva Provincial Council elections.

The first local body elections held in Sri Lanka after more than a decade in the two Tamil dominated area has sprung up mixed results with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) remaining a force to reckon with in the Wanni.

Rajpaksa's ruling United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has scored a significant victory in the Jaffna Municipal Council polls with 13 out of the 23 seats.

However, the pro-LTTE TNA party won 8 seats in the Jaffna Municipal Council elections with more than 38 per cent vote polled in its favour. While an Independent Group secured one seat, the Tamil United liberation Front (TULF), another regional party, got one seat.