Colombo Central Electoral District
Encyclopedia
Colombo Central electoral district was an electoral district
of Sri Lanka
between August 1947 and February 1989
. The district was named after the city of Colombo
in Colombo District
, Western Province
. The district was a three-member constituency. The 1978 Constitution
of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation
electoral system for electing
members
of Parliament
. The existing 160 mainly single-member
electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral district
s. Colombo Central electoral district was replaced by the Colombo multi-member electoral district
at the 1989 general elections
, the first under the PR system, though Colombo Central continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district.
held on 21 July 1977 for the district:
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
between August 1947 and February 1989
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1989
Sri Lanka had not had a parliamentary election since 1977. The elections that should normally have been held by 1983 had been cancelled by the 1982 referendum.President Ranasinghe Premadasa called the election for February 15.-Electoral District:...
. The district was named after the city of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
in Colombo District
Colombo District
Colombo District is the smallest district in Sri Lanka with an area of 642 km². It is located in the Western Province, on the western coast of the island. Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo and the political capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte are located in this district...
, Western Province
Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
. The district was a three-member constituency. The 1978 Constitution
Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been the constitution of the island nation of Sri Lanka since its original promulgation by the National State Assembly on 7 September 1978. It is Sri Lanka's second republican constitution, and its third constitution since the...
of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
electoral system for electing
Elections in Sri Lanka
Elections in Sri Lanka gives information on election and election results in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a six year term by the people...
members
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
of Parliament
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
. The existing 160 mainly single-member
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral district
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
s. Colombo Central electoral district was replaced by the Colombo multi-member electoral district
Colombo Electoral District
Colombo electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Colombo in the Western province...
at the 1989 general elections
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1989
Sri Lanka had not had a parliamentary election since 1977. The elections that should normally have been held by 1983 had been cancelled by the 1982 referendum.President Ranasinghe Premadasa called the election for February 15.-Electoral District:...
, the first under the PR system, though Colombo Central continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district.
1947 Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 1st parliamentary election held between 23 August 1947 and 20 September 1947 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. E. Goonesinha A. E. Goonesinha Alexander Ekanayake Goonesinha was a pioneering trade union leader known as the "Father of the Labour Movement" in Sri Lanka. He was the founder of the Ceylon Labor Party, Sri Lanka's first labor organization and was the First Ceylonese Mayor of Colombo. A. E... |
Labour Party | Bicycle | 23,470 | 23.64% |
| T.B. Jayah | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Cart Wheel | 18,439 | 18.57% |
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Communist Party | Umbrella | 15,435 | 15.55% |
| M.H.M. Munas | House | 8,600 | 8.66% | |
| Ayisha Rauff | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Tree | 8,486 | 8.55% |
| V.J. Perera | Elephant | 5,950 | 5.99% | |
| V.A. Sugathadasa | Lamp | 4,898 | 4.93% | |
| G.W. Harry de Silva | Pair of Scales | 4,141 | 4.17% | |
| V. A. Kandiah | Clock | 3,391 | 3.42% | |
| S. Sarawanamuttu | Chair | 2,951 | 2.97% | |
| P. Givendrasingha | Hand | 1,569 | 1.58% | |
| K. Dahanayake | Cup | 997 | 1.00% | |
| K. Weeraiah | Key | 352 | 0.35% | |
| K.C.F. Deen | Star | 345 | 0.35% | |
| N.R. Perera | Butterfly | 259 | 0.26% | |
| Valid Votes | 99,283 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |3,489 | |||
| Total Polled | 102,772 | |||
| Registered Electors | 55,994 | |||
| Turnout | 183.54% | |||
1952 Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Umbrella | 32,346 | 27.28% | |
| M.C.M. Kaleel | House | 25,647 | 21.63% | |
| Razik Fareed Razik Fareed Sir Razik Fareed, OBE, JP , was a Ceylonese lawyer, politician, diplomat and philanthropist. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Trade, Senator, member of parliament and the state council... |
Key | 24,911 | 21.01% | |
| A. E. Goonesinha A. E. Goonesinha Alexander Ekanayake Goonesinha was a pioneering trade union leader known as the "Father of the Labour Movement" in Sri Lanka. He was the founder of the Ceylon Labor Party, Sri Lanka's first labor organization and was the First Ceylonese Mayor of Colombo. A. E... |
Bicycle | 19,843 | 16.74% | |
| P. de S. Kularatne P. de S. Kularatne Patrick de Silva Kularatne was a educationist and politician of Sri Lanka. He established Nalanda College, Ananda Balika, Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Pannipitiya Vidyalaya... |
Elephant | 14,556 | 12.28% | |
| Piyaseela Givendrasingha | Hand | 751 | 0.63% | |
| H.L. Perera | Star | 517 | 0.44% | |
| Valid Votes | 118,570 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |4,217 | |||
| Total Polled | 122,788 | |||
| Registered Electors | 58,400 | |||
| Turnout | 210.25% | |||
1956 Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 3rd parliamentary election held between 5 April 1956 and 10 April 1956 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Communist Party | Star | 45,296 | 30.62% |
| Razik Fareed Razik Fareed Sir Razik Fareed, OBE, JP , was a Ceylonese lawyer, politician, diplomat and philanthropist. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Trade, Senator, member of parliament and the state council... |
Umbrella | 26,512 | 17.92% | |
| M.S. Themis | Hand | 20,378 | 13.77% | |
| M.C.M. Kaleel | Cart Wheel | 20,338 | 13.75% | |
| V.A. Sugathadasa | Elephant | 18,234 | 12.33% | |
| A. E. Goonesinha A. E. Goonesinha Alexander Ekanayake Goonesinha was a pioneering trade union leader known as the "Father of the Labour Movement" in Sri Lanka. He was the founder of the Ceylon Labor Party, Sri Lanka's first labor organization and was the First Ceylonese Mayor of Colombo. A. E... |
Bicycle | 16,678 | 11.27% | |
| A. Ally Mohamood | Flower | 501 | 0.34% | |
| Valid Votes | 147,937 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |3,901 | |||
| Total Polled | 151,838 | |||
| Registered Electors | 70,022 | |||
| Turnout | 216.84% | |||
1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.C.M. Kaleel | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Pair of Spectacles | 33,121 | 19.02% |
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Communist Party | Star | 30,574 | 17.56% |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989... |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Elephant | 29,828 | 17.13% |
| P.B. Thampoe | Key | 22,228 | 12.76% | |
| Razik Fareed Razik Fareed Sir Razik Fareed, OBE, JP , was a Ceylonese lawyer, politician, diplomat and philanthropist. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Trade, Senator, member of parliament and the state council... |
Umbrella | 21,033 | 12.08% | |
| M.S. Themis | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Mahajana Eksath Peramuna The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna is a left-wing political party in Sri Lanka. Today the party is led by Dinesh Gunawardena, son of Philip Gunawardena.... |
Cart Wheel | 19,093 | 10.96% |
| E.S. Ratnaweera | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Hand | 11,859 | 6.81% |
| Abdul Aziz | Tree | 4,635 | 2.66% | |
| D.J.S. Paranayapa | Lamp | 414 | 0.24% | |
| Vasanta Appadurai | Ship | 404 | 0.23% | |
| Cecil Wickremasinghe | Eye | 397 | 0.23% | |
| A. Kumarasinghe | Flower | 220 | 0.13% | |
| Premaranjan Lokeshvara | Table | 171 | 0.10% | |
| A.A. Mohamed | Pot | 166 | 0.10% | |
| Valid Votes | 174,143 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |4,592 | |||
| Total Polled | 178,735 | |||
| Registered Electors | 74,922 | |||
| Turnout | 238.56% | |||
1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Razik Fareed Razik Fareed Sir Razik Fareed, OBE, JP , was a Ceylonese lawyer, politician, diplomat and philanthropist. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Trade, Senator, member of parliament and the state council... |
Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Hand | 45,342 | 25.75% |
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Communist Party | Star | 38,663 | 21.96% |
| M.C.M. Kaleel | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Eye | 37,486 | 21.29% |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989... |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Elephant | 35,035 | 19.90% |
| P.B. Thampoe | Lanka Sama Samaja Party Lanka Sama Samaja Party The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a Trotskyist political party in Sri Lanka.... |
Key | 16,406 | 9.32% |
| M.S. Themis | Cart Wheel | 3,164 | 1.80% | |
| Valid Votes | 176,096 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |3,488 | |||
| Total Polled | 179,584 | |||
| Registered Electors | 74,922 | |||
| Turnout | 239.69% | |||
1965 Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falil Caffoor | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Chair | 68,372 | 31.54% |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989... |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Elephant | 64,438 | 29.72% |
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Communist Party (Moscow) | Star | 41,478 | 19.13% |
| M. Haleem Ishak | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Hand | 32,132 | 14.82% |
| P.B. Thampoe | Lamp | 4,559 | 2.10% | |
| D.A. Piyadasa | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Mahajana Eksath Peramuna The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna is a left-wing political party in Sri Lanka. Today the party is led by Dinesh Gunawardena, son of Philip Gunawardena.... |
Cart Wheel | 2,520 | 1.16% |
| N. Shanmugathasan N. Shanmugathasan Nagalingam Shanmugathasan was a trade unionist and Maoist revolutionary leader in Sri Lanka. He was the founding General Secretary of the Ceylon Communist Party .- Life :... |
Communist Party (Peking) | Umbrella | 2,427 | 1.12% |
| O.S.A.Z. Abdeen | Flower | 332 | 0.15% | |
| Poopathy Saravanamuttu | Ship | 282 | 0.13% | |
| R.H. Jayasekera | Pair of Scales | 268 | 0.12% | |
| Valid Votes | 216,808 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |4,638 | |||
| Total Polled | 221,446 | |||
| Registered Electors | 93,468 | |||
| Turnout | 236.92% | |||
1970 Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970 for the district:| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989... |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Elephant | 69,310 | 29.48% |
| Falil Caffoor | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Chair | 63,624 | 27.06% |
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Communist Party | Star | 58,557 | 24.91% |
| M. Haleem Ishak | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Hand | 41,716 | 17.74% |
| C. Durairajah | Umbrella | 783 | 0.33% | |
| M. Haroun Careem | Bell | 413 | 0.18% | |
| Poopathy Saravanamuttu | Ship | 396 | 0.17% | |
| Panangadan Raman Krishnan | Pair of Scales | 307 | 0.13% | |
| Valid Votes | 235,106 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |5,491 | |||
| Total Polled | 240,597 | |||
| Registered Electors | 99,265 | |||
| Turnout | 242.38% | |||
1977 Parliamentary General Election
Results of the 8th parliamentary electionSri Lankan parliamentary election, 1977
The 1977 Sri Lankan election heralded the beginning of a new period of Sri Lanka's history - a period of unprecedented violence.-Background:Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike had become extraordinarily unpopular. Her economic policies had led to industrial growth and self-reliance, but was...
held on 21 July 1977 for the district:
| Candidate | |Symbol | |% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989... |
Elephant | 94,128 | 36.32% | |
| M. Jabir A. Cader | Eye | 58,972 | 22.76% | |
| M. Haleem Ishak | Hand | 53,777 | 20.75% | |
| M. S. Sellasamy M. S. Sellasamy Muthu Sangaralingam Sellasamy is a Sri Lankan politician, former member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and former government minister.-References:... |
Ceylon Workers' Congress Ceylon Workers' Congress The Ceylon Workers' Congress is a political party in Sri Lanka that has traditionally represented Tamils working in the plantation sector of the economy .- History :... |
Cockerel | 26,964 | 10.41% |
| Pieter Keuneman Pieter Keuneman Pieter Gerald Bartholomeusz Keuneman was a Sri Lankan politician and a Marxist. He was the Cabinet Minister of Housing and Local Government and prominent Member of Parliament and a leading figure in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party .-Early life and education:Pieter Keuneman came from a Dutch Burgher... |
Star | 24,568 | 9.48% | |
| W.A. Sunil Perera | Chair | 422 | 0.16% | |
| R. Rathnasamy | Flower | 202 | 0.08% | |
| M.T.M. Saleem | Table | 103 | 0.04% | |
| Valid Votes | 259,136 | 100.00% | ||
| Rejected Votes | |6,660 | |||
| Total Polled | 265,796 | |||
| Registered Electors | 106,403 | |||
| Turnout | 249.80% | |||