Sri Lanka's ruling party wins provincial polls

Sri Lanka's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance has swept provincial elections, according to results announced Sunday.

Sri Lanka's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has swept provincial elections held Saturday, according to results announced Sunday.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's UPFA will thus retain control of both the Central and the North Western Provincial Councils, the Commissioner of Elections said.

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Of the 40 polling divisions in the five districts in both provinces, the UPFA won 39. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) won only in Kandy in Central Province.

Election officials said the early results showed that about 65 percent of the 3.4 million voters in the two provinces had exercised their franchise.

About 1,370 candidates were in the fray for 56 seats in the Central Provincial Council while 1,209 candidates contested 50 seats in the North Western Provincial Council.