The main opposition party in Sri Lanka yesterday looked set to win a surprise majority in a violence-marred parliamentary election that could signal a quick return to peace talks with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
The violence and other problems surrounding the poll have caused the country's elections commissioner to annul results from some polling booths, delaying a final tally until at least today, but the trend from the released results points to a huge upset by the United National Party (UNP).
With unofficial results from 13 of the country's 22 electoral districts the UNP led by Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe has surged ahead with 48 per cent of the vote to about 39 per cent for President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance. "The people expected a change and they have chosen the United National Party," Mr Wickremesinghe said.
"I appeal to all supporters of the UNP and all other people to uphold law and order and the right to franchise," he said.
The Elections Commissioner, Mr Dayananda Dissanayake, said he had annulled voting in several areas in two key electoral districts because of violence and suspected ballot stuffing.
"Due to the annulments we can only come to a decision in Kandy and Gamapaha after meeting party leaders tomorrow," said Mr Dissanayake, who could order new votes.
Votes in some areas of the north and east were also annulled, while counting in other districts, including vote-rich Colombo, has slowed while irregularities are being checked, he said.
The vote may give strength to the UNP's bid to open immediate talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), fighting for a separate Tamil state in the north and east since 1983.
Mr Wickremesinghe, a former prime minister, has said he wants to get a peace process going as soon as possible, which may mean lifting a ban on the rebels, their main precondition for talks.
Ms Kumaratunga has taken an increasingly hard-line stance toward the Tigers and has said she would not lift the ban on the group until any talks had made solid progress.
There was a turnout of 75 to 80 per cent of the more than 12 million eligible voters - just under two-thirds of the island's population - for the second general election in 14 months.
Once final, the victory would return the UNP to power after seven years in opposition to the People's Alliance, which all but conceded the stinging defeat.
"We hope the UNP can deliver the goods," said a PA cabinet spokesman, Mr Alavi Moulana, who added: "It's too early to talk about majorities." Opinion polls had forecast another hung parliament after the 2000 election resulted in a minority PA government.
The UNP, already assured of support from Muslim and Tamil parties, could reach a majority on its own if the current counting trends continue.
Mr Wickremesinghe's pro-business image will also tested as he wrestles with a trade-dependent economy growing at its slowest pace in 30 years. Some 60 people were killed and 700 injured in violence up to voting day.