United National Front (Sri Lanka)

United National Front
Eksath Jathika Peramuna
එක්සත් ජාතික පෙරමුණ
ஐக்கிய தேசிய முன்னணி
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
Founded October 2001
Headquarters Sirikotha Mandiraya, No. 400, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Ideology Conservatism,
Liberal conservatism
Parliament of Sri Lanka
106 / 225
Election symbol
Elephant

The United National Front (Sinhalese: එක්සත් ජාතික පෙරමුණ) is an electoral alliance in Sri Lanka, formed by the United National Party, the alliance currently represents 7 parties including the largest Muslim party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Sinhala Nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya. The UNF is current governing party in the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

History

The UNF was formed as an alliance in 2001 to battle president Kumaratunga's SLFP led People's Alliance in 2001 parliamentary election. Initial members were the United National Party, the Ceylon Workers' Congress, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Western People's Front. The alliance won the election by securing 109 seats in the parliament, which was 4 seats short of a majority. UNF government had been in limbo since October 2003, when President Kumaratunga declared a state of emergency and took three key cabinet portfolios for her party. During the campaign, she argued that prime minister Wickremasinghe had been too soft on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and promised to take a harder line. The UNF, for its part, stressed the economic gains that had been made with the ceasefire and the need to find a negotiated solution to the civil war. Eventually, President Kumaratunga dissolved the parliament and called an election in 2004, which UNF lost to newly formed United People's Freedom Alliance. In 2006, CWC left the alliance to join UPFA.

UNP and SLMC once again contested 2010 parliamentary election from UNF and only secured 29.34% of the popular vote and 60 out of 225 seats. After the election the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress left the UNF and joined President Rajapaksa's UPFA government.[1]

The United National Front was once again re-activated by United National Party to form as common front against the re-emergence of Rajapaksa who was defeated on 8 January 2015 Presidential Election, with the support of many parties such as Jathika Hela Urumaya, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Tamil National Alliance,etc as a major coalition to support the progress of the Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

The UNF launched a new solution to the 2015 parliamentary elections by launching a new stage point called "United National Front for Good Governance" to enhance the development of the country. The JHU,SLMC and some others parties who had signed the MOU with the UNF. Democratic Party led by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka signed an MOU with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe to jpin the front on February 3rd, 2016. [2]

United National Front for Good Governance

In provision of the 2015 Parliamentary elections the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and other minor groups decided to contest under the banner of the UNP.

Alliance members

Leaders

References

  1. ↑ http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/16903
  2. ↑ http://www.dailymirror.lk/104939/SF-joins-UNF-
  3. ↑ Edirisinghe, Dasun (21 January 2016), "DNM demands vacant UNP seat", The Island (Sri Lanka), retrieved 16 March 2016
  4. ↑ Gooneratne, Lankesh (2 February 2016), "Ekanayake scotches rumours", Ceylon Today, retrieved 16 March 2016
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