Political party in Sri Lanka
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (Tamil : அகில இலங்கைத் தமிழ்க் காங்கிரஸ் ), is the oldest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka .
History
The ACTC was founded in 1944 by G.G. Ponnambalam . Ponnambalam asked for a 50-50 representation in parliament (50% for the Sinhalese , 50% for all other ethnic groups).[1] Lord Soulbury as a "mockery of democracy ".[citation needed
Due to the cooperation of the ACTC with the United National Party a group led by S.J.V. Chelvanayakam broke away in 1949, forming the Federal Party (FP). The ACTC was largely discredited when their ally the UNP moved away from bilingual and bicommunal policies towards a pro-Sinhalese stance. Thus the FP emerged as the major Tamil party in 1956.[citation needed
In 1972 the ACTC and the FP formed the Tamil United Front, which later evolved into the Tamil United Liberation Front in 1976.[citation needed
Ahead of the 2001 elections, ACTC joined the LTTE -backed Tamil National Alliance (TNA). In the 2004 elections the TNA won 6.9% of the popular vote and 22 out of the 225 seats in parliament.[citation needed
The ACTC left the TNA in 2010 and subsequently joined a new political alliance, the Tamil National People's Front .[citation needed
1947 Parliamentary General Election
In the 1947 election , the first for the independent Ceylon , the ACTC won 4.37% of the popular vote and 7 out of 95 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by ACTC by electoral district
Electoral District
Votes
%
Seats
Turnout
ACTC MP
Chavakachcheri 11,813
85.51%
1
49.34%
V. Kumarasamy
Jaffna 14,324
73.28%
1
46.26%
G. G. Ponnambalam
Kankesanthurai 12,126
55.39%
1
57.69%
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
Kayts 5,230
29.21%
0
55.69%
Kopay 9,619
58.90%
1
50.33%
C. Vanniasingam
Point Pedro 10,396
43.51%
1
58.39%
T. Ramalingam
Trincomalee 5,252
56.15%
1
56.10%
S. Sivapalan
Vaddukoddai 11,721
61.24%
1
52.00%
K. Kanagaratnam
Vavuniya 2,018
33.39%
0
55.64%
Total 82,499 4.37% 7
Source:[2]
1952 Parliamentary General Election
In the 1952 election the ACTC won 2.77% of the popular vote and 4 out of 95 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by ACTC by electoral district
1956 Parliamentary General Election
In the 1956 election the ACTC fielded only one candidate , party leader G.G. Ponnambalam in Jaffna , who managed to win the seat with 8,914 votes.[4]
1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election
In the March 1960 election the ACTC won 1.32% of the popular vote and 1 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by ACTC by electoral district
1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election
In the July 1960 election the ACTC won 1.66% of the popular vote and 1 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .[6]
1965 Parliamentary General Election
In the 1965 election the ACTC won 2.44% of the popular vote and 3 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by ACTC by electoral district
Electoral District
Votes
%
Seats
Turnout
ACTC MP
Batticaloa 8,107
12.14%
0
150.59%
Chavakachcheri 7,191
30.59%
0
77.92%
Jaffna 9,350
42.37%
1
77.76%
G. G. Ponnambalam
Kalkudah 3,354
19.38%
0
72.70%
Kankesanthurai 6,611
26.13%
0
72.42%
Kayts 5,816
30.02%
0
61.49%
Kilinochchi 4,076
30.76%
0
71.33%
Kopay 8,230
34.34%
0
72.90%
Mutur 327
0.58%
0
150.92%
Nallur 9,860
43.12%
0
72.03%
Point Pedro 6,614
40.43%
0
71.62%
Udupiddy 12,009
46.67%
1
75.47%
M. Sivasithamparam
Uduvil 5,577
23.29%
0
72.80%
Vaddukoddai 4,359
17.09%
0
69.83%
Vavuniya 7,265
40.33%
1
73.45%
T. Sivasithamparam
Total 98,746 2.44% 3
Source:[7]
1970 Parliamentary General Election
In the 1970 election the ACTC won 2.32% of the popular vote and 3 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by ACTC by electoral district
Electoral District
Votes
%
Seats
Turnout
ACTC MP
Chavakachcheri 12,921
45.51%
0
86.11%
Jaffna 7,222
29.05%
0
79.89%
Kankesanthurai 3,051
10.00%
0
81.03%
Kayts 1,667
6.80%
0
76.88%
Kilinochchi 9,049
50.19%
1
76.03%
V. Anandasangaree
Kopay 11,288
38.38%
0
79.01%
Nallur 13,116
46.78%
1
78.69%
C. Arulampalam
Point Pedro 8,902
46.85%
0
79.52%
Udupiddy 11,662
42.02%
0
80.41%
Uduvil 11,656
40.68%
0
78.43%
Vaddukoddai 14,359
51.29%
1
78.67%
Dr. A. Thiagarajah
Vavuniya 10,674
41.92%
0
80.82%
Total 115,567 2.32% 3
Source:[8]
2000 Parliamentary General Election
In the 2000 election the ACTC won 0.32% of the popular vote and 1 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by ACTC by electoral district
2001 Parliamentary General Election
In the first parliamentary election contested by the Tamil National Alliance , the 5 December 2001 election , the TNA led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan won 3.88% of the popular vote and 15 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by TNA by electoral district
Electoral Votes
%
Seats
Turnout
TNA MPs
Ampara 48,789
17.41%
1
82.51%
A. Chandranehru (TULF )
Batticaloa 86,284
48.17%
3
68.20%
G. Krishnapillai (ACTC )Joseph Pararajasingham (TULF )TELO )
Colombo 12,696
1.20%
0
76.31%
Jaffna 102,324
54.84%
6
31.14%
V. Anandasangaree (TULF )Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam (ACTC )Nadarajah Raviraj (TULF )Mavai Senathirajah (TULF )M. K. Shivajilingam (TELO )A. Vinayagamoorthy (ACTC )
Trincomalee 56,121
34.83%
1
79.88%
R. Sampanthan (TULF )
Vanni 41,950
44.39%
3
46.77%
Selvam Adaikalanathan (TELO )Sivasakthy Ananthan (EPRLF )TELO )
National List
1
M. Sivasithamparam (TULF ), died 5 June 2002K. Thurairetnasingam (TULF ) (replaces M. Sivasithamparam )
Total 348,164 3.88% 15 76.03%
Source:"Parliamentary General Election 2001, Final District Results" . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
2004 Parliamentary General Election
In the 2 April 2004 parliamentary election in which the United People's Freedom Alliance alliance led by President Kumaratunga came to power, the Tamil National Alliance led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan won 6.84% of the popular vote and 22 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by TNA by electoral district
Electoral Votes
%
Seats
Turnout
TNA MPs
Ampara 55,533
19.13%
1
81.42%
K. Pathmanathan , died 21 May 2009Thomas Thangathurai William , from 12 June 2009 (replaces K. Pathmanathan )
Batticaloa 161,011
66.71%
4
83.58%
Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy Thanmanpillai Kanagasabai Thangeswary Kathiraman P. Ariyanethiran , from 18 May 2004 (replaces Kingsley Rasanayagam)
Jaffna 257,320
90.60%
8
47.38%
Selvarajah Kajendren Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam (ACTC )Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF )Nadarajah Raviraj (ITAK ), murdered 10 November 2006Mavai Senathirajah (ITAK )M. K. Shivajilingam (TELO )K. Sivanesan , murdered 6 March 2008Pathmini Sithamparanathan Nallathamby Srikantha (TELO ), from 30 November 2006 (replaces Nadarajah Raviraj )Solomon Cyril , from 9 April 2008 (replaces Kidnan Sivanesan )
Trincomalee 68,955
37.72%
2
85.44%
R. Sampanthan (ITAK )K. Thurairetnasingam (ITAK )
Vanni 90,835
64.71%
5
66.64%
Selvam Adaikalanathan (TELO )Sivasakthy Ananthan (EPRLF )Sathasivam Kanagaratnam Sivanathan Kisshor Vino Noharathalingam (TELO )
National List
2
M. K. Eelaventhan , expelled from Parliament 14 December 2007 for non-attendanceJoseph Pararajasingham (ITAK ), murdered 24 December 2005Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan , from 27 September 2006 (replaces Joseph Pararajasingham )Raseen Mohammed Imam , from 5 February 2008 (replaces M. K. Eelaventhan )
Total 633,654 6.84% 22 75.96%
Source:"Parliamentary General Election 2004, Final District Results" . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
2010 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 People's Front led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam won 0.09% of the popular vote and no seats in the Sri Lankan parliament .
Votes and seats won by TNPF by electoral district
