Tamil United Liberation Front
The Tamil United Liberation Front (Tamil: தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை முன்னணி, romanized: Tamil Onrupattatu Viduthulai Munnai, Sinhala: ද්රවිඩ එක්සත් විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ, romanized: Dravida Eksath Vimukthi Peramuna) is a political party in Sri Lanka.
Tamil United Liberation Front தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை முன்னணி ද්රවිඩ එක්සත් විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ | |
|---|---|
| Leader | V. Anandasangaree |
| Secretary | K. K. Kanagarajah |
| Founder | S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, G. G. Ponnambalam, Savumiamoorthy Thondaman |
| Founded | 4 May 1972 |
| Merger of | All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, Ceylon Workers' Congress |
| Preceded by | Tamil United Front |
| Headquarters | 5/3A Wijayaba Mawatha, Kalubowila, Dehiwala |
| Ideology | Tamil Nationalism |
| Election symbol | |
Rising Sun | |
Formation
On 4 May 1972 several Tamil political groups, including Federal Party (ITAK), Ceylon Workers Congress and All Ceylon Tamil Congress formed the Tamil United Front (TUF) under the joint leadership of SJV Selvanayagam, S Thondaman and GG Ponnambalam. The TUF changed its name to Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and adopted the demand for an independent state to be known as the "secular, socialist state of Tamil Eelam". CWC declined to extend its support to the newly formed TULF.
1977 Parliamentary General Election
In the first general election contested by the TULF, the 21 July 1977 election in which the UNP won by a landslide, the TULF won 6.40% of the popular vote and 18 out of 168 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament, including all 14 seats in the Northern Province.
Votes and seats won by TULF by electoral district
| Electoral District | Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TULF MP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batticaloa | 26,648 | 24.70% | 1 | 71.15% | Chelliah Rajadurai |
| Chavakachcheri | 20,028 | 63.27% | 1 | 85.65% | V. N. Navaratnam |
| Jaffna | 16,251 | 56.62% | 1 | 82.32% | V. Yogeswaran |
| Kalkudah | 12,595 | 43.07% | 0 | 86.02% | |
| Kalmunai | 7,093 | 27.38% | 0 | 89.86% | |
| Kankesanthurai | 31,155 | 85.41% | 1 | 83.08% | A. Amirthalingam |
| Kayts | 17,640 | 64.05% | 1 | 75.72% | K. P. Ratnam |
| Kilinochchi | 15,607 | 73.42% | 1 | 79.71% | V. Anandasangaree |
| Kopay | 25,840 | 77.20% | 1 | 80.03% | S. Kathiravelupillai |
| Manipay | 27,550 | 83.99% | 1 | 79.28% | V. Dharmalingam |
| Mannar | 15,141 | 51.58% | 1 | 92.40% | P. S. Soosaithasan |
| Mullaitivu | 10,261 | 52.36% | 1 | 79.34% | X. M. Sellathambu |
| Mutur | 7,520 | 27.00% | 0 | 91.65% | |
| Nallur | 29,858 | 89.42% | 1 | 83.05% | M. Sivasithamparam |
| Paddirippu | 15,877 | 49.17% | 1 | 89.92% | P. Ganeshalingam |
| Point Pedro | 12,989 | 55.91% | 1 | 81.66% | K. Thurairatnam |
| Pottuvil | 23,990 | 26.97% | 1 | 179.02% | M. Kanagaratnam |
| Puttalam | 3,268 | 10.52% | 0 | 83.58% | |
| Sammanthurai | 8,615 | 34.65% | 0 | 91.04% | |
| Trincomalee | 15,144 | 51.76% | 1 | 81.78% | R. Sampanthan |
| Udupiddy | 18,768 | 63.44% | 1 | 80.05% | T. Rasalingam |
| Vaddukoddai | 23,384 | 70.18% | 1 | 81.90% | T. Thirunavukarasu |
| Vavuniya | 13,821 | 59.02% | 1 | 82.31% | T. Sivasithamparam |
| Total | 399,043 | 6.40% | 18 | ||
| Source:[1] | |||||
The TULF became the official opposition as result of the rout of the SLFP. The TULF's success would lead to riots in which hundreds of Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese mobs.
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the TULF was frequently blamed by nationalist Sinhalese politicians for acts of violence committed by militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In fact, the TULF represented an older, more conservative generation of Tamils that felt independence could be achieved without violence, more rival than ally to youth groups like the LTTE who believed in armed conflict.
In October 1983, all the TULF legislators, numbering sixteen at the time, forfeited their seats in Parliament for refusing to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state in accordance with the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
During the 1980s, the LTTE began to see the TULF as a rival in its desire to be considered the sole representatives of the Tamils of the north and east. Over the next two decades, the LTTE has assassinated several TULF leaders, including A. Amirthalingam and Neelan Thiruchelvam.
1989 Parliamentary General Election
The TULF formed an alliance with the three Indian backed paramilitary groups, Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), to contest the 15 February 1989 election. The alliance won 3.40% of the popular vote and 10 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by TULF / ENDLF / EPRLF / TULF alliance by electoral district
| Electoral District |
Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TULF / ENDLF / EPRLF / TELO MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ampara | 43,424 | 20.32% | 1 | 80.41% | Jeyaratnam Thiviya Nadan (EPRLF) |
| Batticaloa | 55,131 | 35.49% | 3 | 71.74% | Prince Gunarasa Casinader (EPRLF) G. Karunakaran (TELO) Thambimuthu Samuel Pennington Thevarasa (EPRLF), murdered 11 May 1990 Joseph Pararajasingham (TULF), from 1990 (replaces Sam Thambimuthu (EPRLF)) |
| Jaffna | 60,013 | 25.02% | 3 | 40.50% | Kandiah Navaratnam (EPRLF) Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF) Ganeshankari Yogasangari (EPRLF), murdered 19 June 1990 |
| Vanni | 17,271 | 39.99% | 2 | 30.53% | Raja Kuhaneswaran (TELO) Anthony Emmanuel Silva (EPRLF) |
| National List | 1 | A. Amirthalingam (TULF), murdered 13 July 1989 Mavai Senathirajah (replaces A. Amirthalingam) | |||
| Total | 188,593 | 3.40% | 10 | 63.6% | |
| Sources:[2][3] | |||||
1994 Parliamentary General Election
In the 16 August 1994 election in which the People's Alliance led by Chandrika Kumaratunga came to power after 17 years of UNP rule, the TULF won 1.60% of the popular vote and 5 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by TULF by electoral district
| Electoral District |
Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TULF MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batticaloa | 76,516 | 43.95% | 3 | 66.47% | Joseph Pararajasingham P. Selvarasa K. Thurairajasingam |
| Trincomalee | 28,380 | 23.66% | 1 | 65.15% | A. Thangathurai |
| National List | 1 | Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, murdered 29 July 1999 Mavai Senathirajah, from August 1999 (replaces Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam) | |||
| Total | 132,461 | 1.60% | 5 | 76.23% | |
| Sources:[4][5] | |||||
2000 Parliamentary General Election
In the 10 October 2000 election in which the People's Alliance led by Ratnasiri Wickremanayake retained to power, the TULF won 1.23% of the popular vote and 5 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament. Votes and seats won by TULF by electoral district
| Electoral District |
Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TULF MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batticaloa | 54,448 | 29.20% | 2 | 71.74% | Joseph Pararajasingham Nimalan Soundaranayagam |
| Jaffna | 32,852 | 27.59% | 3 | 21.32% | V. Anandasangaree Mavai Senathirajah S. Sivamaharajah |
| Trincomalee | 14,090 | 10.58% | 0 | 68.52% | |
| Vanni | 4,643 | 5.58% | 0 | 42.13% | |
| National List | 0 | ||||
| Total | 106,033 | 1.23% | 5 | 75.62% | |
| Sources:[6][7][8] | |||||
2001 Parliamentary General Election
In the 8 April 2010 parliamentary election in which the United People's Freedom Alliance alliance led by President Rajapaksa retained power, the Tamil National Alliance led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan won 2.9% of the popular vote and 14 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by TNA by electoral district
| Electoral District | Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TNA MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ampara | 26,895 | 10.47% | 1 | 64.74% | Podiappuhamy Piyasena |
| Batticaloa | 66,235 | 36.67% | 3 | 58.56% | P. Ariyanethiran (ITAK) P. Selvarasa (ITAK) S. Yogeswaran (ITAK) |
| Jaffna | 65,119 | 43.85% | 5 | 23.33% | Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF) E. Saravanapavan (ITAK) Mavai Senathirajah (ITAK) S. Sritharan (ITAK) A. Vinayagamoorthy |
| Trincomalee | 33,268 | 23.81% | 1 | 62.20% | R. Sampanthan (ITAK) |
| Vanni | 41,673 | 38.96% | 3 | 43.89% | Selvam Adaikalanathan (TELO) Sivasakthy Ananthan (EPRLF) Vino Noharathalingam (TELO) |
| National List | 1 | M. A. Sumanthiran (ITAK) | |||
| Total | 233,190 | 2.90% | 14 | 61.26% | |
| Source:"Parliamentary General Election – 2010". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. | |||||
Split
TULF President V. Anandasangaree, a critic of the Tamil Tigers, left the Tamil National Alliance when it took a pro-Tamil Tigers stance at the 2004 general election. Anandasangaree gained control of the TULF after a legal battle, forcing the TULF members who wanted to remain in the TNA to resurrect the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, which is now a constituent party of the TNA.
2004 Parliamentary General Election
The legal battle over the control of TULF meant that the TULF led by V. Anandasangaree contested as an independent group and only in one electoral district in the 2 April 2004 parliamentary election, winning 0.06% of the popular vote and no seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by TULF by electoral district
| Electoral District | Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TULF MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaffna | 5,156 | 1.82% | 0 | 47.38% | |
| Total | 5,156 | 0.06% | 0 | 75.96% | |
| Source:"Parliamentary General Election 2004, Final District Results". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. | |||||
2010 Parliamentary General Election
In the 8 April 2010 parliamentary election in which the United People's Freedom Alliance led by President Rajapaksa retained power, the TULF led by V. Anandasangaree won 0.11% of the popular vote and no seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by TULF by electoral district
| Electoral District | Votes | % | Seats | Turnout | TULF MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batticaloa | 4,424 | 2.45% | 0 | 58.56% | |
| Colombo | 834 | 0.09% | 0 | 65.03% | |
| Jaffna | 2,892 | 1.95% | 0 | 23.33% | |
| Vanni | 1,073 | 1.00% | 0 | 43.89% | |
| Total | 9,223 | 0.11% | 0 | 61.26% | |
| Source:"Parliamentary General Election – 2010". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. | |||||
References
- "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
- "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009.
- D. B. S. Jeyaraj (1 January 2006). "The benign parliamentarian from Batticaloa". TransCurrents. Archived from the original on 10 November 2009.
- "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1994" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2010.
- "Senathirajah - new TULF MP". The Island, Sri Lanka. 15 August 1999. Archived from the original on 1 October 2008.
- "Parliamentary General Election 10.10.2000, Final District Results". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012.
- "EPDP gets four seats in Jaffna". TamilNet. 11 October 2000.
- "Pararajasingham elected on final count". TamilNet. 11 October 2000.
External links
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