109:
299:
1006:
30:
440:
432:
397:
389:
263:
255:
216:
208:
292:
116:
807:
The SLFP campaign of 1956 was the first in Ceylon's history where communal feelings against the minority Tamil community were deliberately stirred up by
Sinhalese politicians for electoral gain. The SLFP tried to blame the high unemployment Sinhalese youth faced on the Tamils and in effect promised
1239:
1254:
535:
had been rapidly losing steam. It faced widespread criticism over Ceylon's poor economic performance. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka
Freedom Party now championed a popular
1389:
1214:
994:
972:
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1234:
1229:
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1101:
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1091:
1086:
54:
1136:
1345:
888:
838:. Henceforth electorates were addressed in their mother tongue at election meetings (as the LSSP and CP had done from inception) instead of English.
108:
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in 1956. They were a watershed in the country's political history, and were the first elections fought to realistically challenge the ruling
44:
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816:
554:
minority, but changed its position in early 1956. This only served to cost the UNP its Tamil support while gaining it little among the
1409:
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80:
350:
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1219:
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355:
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1330:
1305:
627:
588:
487:
141:
167:
980:
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172:
681:
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324:
822:
However, it also changed the character of politics in the country from the elitism that had characterised it hitherto.
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to launch his bid for Prime
Minister. The party won the election with 51 seats, winning a majority in the house.
512:
483:
126:
68:
1078:
867:
855:
663:
562:
516:
146:
1018:
1010:
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815:
The hard feelings from this campaign contributed towards the eruption, nearly three decades later, of the
309:
910:
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528:
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469:
329:
580:
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not to correct injustices but to openly discriminate against Tamils via a policy of official
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570:
298:
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946:. Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 15 December 2001
1005:
599:
Bandaranaike's coalition obtained a solid majority government and he became
536:
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The Tamil parties campaigned to keep
English as the official language.
835:
573:, with both to jointly replace English as the official language.
976:
291:
115:
921:. Sri Lanka Statistics. 10 February 2009. Archived from
894:. Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from
569:
campaigned for parity of status between
Sinhala and
1361:
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1207:
1077:
1017:
550:The UNP resisted this out of deference to Ceylon's
77:
453:
889:"Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956"
988:
8:
583:assembled a coalition with a group of small
21:
515:crossed over to the opposition to form the
995:
981:
973:
866:Including the Sinhala Language Front, the
605:
20:
940:"Chapter 16: 'Honorable wounds of war'"
938:Rajasingham, K. T. (24 November 2001).
847:
791:
778:
765:
761:
747:
1011:Elections and referendums in Sri Lanka
957:
826:from other parties than the Left were
1390:1956 Ceylonese parliamentary election
919:"Table 33 Parliament Election (1956)"
909:. LankaNewspapers.com. Archived from
779:
766:
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22:1956 Ceylonese parliamentary election
7:
1400:Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka
1405:Origins of the Sri Lankan Civil War
872:Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
547:as the island's official language.
274:
91:
84:48 seats were needed for a majority
81:House of Representatives of Ceylon
14:
1004:
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438:
431:
430:
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395:
388:
387:
297:
290:
262:
261:
254:
253:
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214:
207:
206:
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107:
28:
907:"1956 General Election Results"
16:Sri Lankan government elections
1:
511:. Former Leader of the House
682:Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
1426:
1410:April 1956 events in Asia
964:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
795:Kusaka Research Institute
792:
780:Registered voters/turnout
762:
748:
718:All Ceylon Tamil Congress
700:Communist Party of Ceylon
619:
616:
613:
451:
270:
88:
65:
38:
26:
628:Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
589:Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
581:S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
513:S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
484:S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
127:S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
868:Sri Lanka Freedom Party
856:Sri Lanka Freedom Party
735:Others and independents
664:Lanka Sama Samaja Party
563:Lanka Sama Samaja Party
517:Sri Lanka Freedom Party
501:Parliamentary elections
1395:1956 elections in Asia
539:platform, calling for
310:S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
901:on 24 September 2015.
824:Members of Parliament
646:United National Party
509:United National Party
587:parties to form the
913:on 27 January 2013.
607:
362:Last election
347:Leader's seat
179:Last election
164:Leader's seat
23:
606:
543:to be replaced by
405:Popular vote
336:Leader since
224:Popular vote
153:Leader since
1377:
1376:
925:on 9 October 2011
817:path to civil war
800:
799:
498:
497:
494:
493:
447:
446:
384:Seat change
368:44.08%, 54 seats
203:Seat change
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60:
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1008:
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390:
301:
294:
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264:
257:
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218:
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210:
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185:13.11%, 9 seats
182:15.52%, 9 seats
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111:
90:
89:
79:95 seats to the
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39:
33:
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31:
24:
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849:
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805:
597:
567:Communist Party
533:John Kotelawala
525:
486:
481:
468:
466:John Kotelawala
463:
461:before election
452:
373:Seats won
365:1.95%, 2 seats
315:John Kotelawala
271:
190:Seats won
83:
78:
73:
72:
69:elected members
55:March 1960
50:5–10 April 1956
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29:
27:
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12:
11:
5:
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601:prime minister
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531:government of
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479:after election
477:Prime Minister
473:
459:Prime Minister
449:
448:
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436:
428:
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393:
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351:Kankesanthurai
348:
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2:
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1128:
1125:
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1120:
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1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1084:
1082:
1080:
1079:Parliamentary
1076:
1070:
1069:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
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1038:
1035:
1033:
1030:
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1020:
1016:
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1007:
998:
993:
991:
986:
984:
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967:
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890:
886:
885:
881:
873:
869:
863:
860:
857:
851:
848:
841:
839:
837:
833:
832:working class
829:
825:
820:
818:
813:
811:
810:unilingualism
802:
796:
788:
785:
782:
775:
772:
769:
757:
754:
751:
743:
740:
737:
734:
732:
731:
727:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
713:
709:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
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688:
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677:
673:
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667:
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662:
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652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
641:
637:
634:
631:
629:
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624:
623:
609:
604:
602:
594:
592:
590:
586:
582:
577:
574:
572:
568:
564:
559:
557:
553:
548:
546:
542:
538:
534:
530:
522:
520:
518:
514:
510:
506:
503:were held in
502:
490:
489:
485:
480:
478:
474:
472:
471:
467:
462:
460:
456:
455:
450:
437:
429:
426:
425:
421:
418:
415:
414:
410:
407:
404:
403:
394:
386:
383:
382:
378:
375:
372:
371:
367:
364:
361:
360:
357:
356:Dodangaslanda
354:
352:
349:
346:
345:
341:
338:
335:
334:
331:
328:
326:
323:
320:
319:
316:
313:
311:
308:
305:
304:
300:
296:
293:
289:
286:
285:
282:Fourth party
281:
278:
275:
269:
260:
252:
249:
248:
244:
242:
239:
236:
235:
231:
229:
226:
223:
222:
213:
205:
202:
201:
197:
195:
192:
189:
188:
184:
181:
178:
177:
174:
171:
169:
166:
163:
162:
158:
155:
152:
151:
148:
145:
143:
140:
137:
136:
133:
130:
128:
125:
122:
121:
117:
113:
110:
106:
103:
102:
99:Second party
98:
95:
92:
87:
82:
76:
71: →
70:
64:
57: →
56:
53:
51:
48:
46:
43:←
42:
41:
37:
25:
19:
1351:
1197:
1126:
1067:
1019:Presidential
948:. Retrieved
943:
927:. Retrieved
923:the original
911:the original
896:the original
862:
850:
828:middle class
821:
814:
809:
806:
598:
579:SLFP leader
578:
575:
560:
549:
526:
500:
499:
482:
475:
464:
457:
279:Third party
240:
227:
193:
132:N. M. Perera
96:First party
49:
18:
1362:Referendums
767:Total votes
416:Percentage
237:Percentage
168:Attanagalla
1384:Categories
1260:2014 (Sep)
1255:2014 (Mar)
1208:Provincial
1137:1960 (Jul)
1132:1960 (Mar)
944:Asia Times
882:References
523:Background
173:Ruwanwella
950:3 October
929:3 October
783:3,464,159
770:2,391,538
752:2,647,247
632:1,046,277
556:Sinhalese
537:socialist
228:1,046,277
960:cite web
870:and the
793:Source:
565:and the
443:16.17pp
411:738,810
408:142,758
258:24.00pp
232:274,204
1240:2008–09
854:As the
836:farmers
738:316,569
704:119,715
686:142,758
668:274,204
650:738,810
595:Results
585:Marxist
545:Sinhala
541:English
435:3.44pp
422:27.91%
306:Leader
287:
276:
266:2.75pp
245:10.36%
123:Leader
104:
93:
803:Legacy
755:100.00
505:Ceylon
427:Swing
419:5.39%
321:Party
250:Swing
241:39.52%
138:Party
1269:Local
899:(PDF)
892:(PDF)
842:Notes
786:69.04
749:Total
741:11.96
722:8,914
671:10.36
653:27.91
635:39.52
620:Seats
614:Votes
611:Party
571:Tamil
552:Tamil
342:1953
339:1949
159:1945
156:1956
1369:1982
1352:Next
1346:2019
1341:2018
1336:2011
1331:2009
1326:2008
1321:2006
1316:2003
1311:2002
1306:1998
1301:1997
1296:1994
1291:1991
1286:1983
1281:1981
1276:1977
1250:2013
1245:2012
1235:2004
1230:1999
1225:1994
1220:1993
1215:1988
1198:Next
1192:2020
1187:2015
1182:2010
1177:2004
1172:2001
1167:2000
1162:1994
1157:1989
1152:1977
1147:1970
1142:1965
1127:1956
1122:1952
1117:1947
1112:1936
1107:1931
1102:1924
1097:1921
1092:1917
1087:1911
1068:2024
1062:2019
1057:2015
1052:2010
1047:2005
1042:1999
1037:1994
1032:1988
1027:1982
966:link
952:2010
931:2010
725:0.34
707:4.52
689:5.39
561:The
527:The
325:ITAK
147:LSSP
45:1952
834:or
529:UNP
488:MEP
470:UNP
400:46
376:10
330:UNP
211:42
198:14
142:MEP
1386::
962:}}
958:{{
942:.
830:,
819:.
812:.
758:95
692:10
674:14
638:51
603:.
591:.
558:.
392:8
379:8
219:5
194:51
996:e
989:t
982:v
968:)
954:.
933:.
874:.
773:–
744:8
728:1
710:3
656:8
617:%
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
