The writing on the wall

The UNP lost the Southern Provincial Council election very badly. Though on a higher poll it got more votes in two of the three districts than previously, the PA by itself got many more votes, and a higher percentage, than it and the DUNF together had managed ten months previously. After 16 long years it now seemed capable of forming a future government by itself.

Analysis of the result took many forms. The DUNF vote at the previous election had been claimed as, not just the vote of UNP supporters disgruntled with Premadasa, but rather of those waiting to return to the party once his ascendancy had passed. This had been Dissanayake's claim, but the result showed that his participation in the campaign had brought nothing to it.

Another assumption that the results seemed to disprove was that it was desirable for the UNP to repudiate Premadasa's legacy. Research afterwards confirmed what was apparent in reactions to Wijetunge's performance at meetings, namely deep resentment amongst sections of society that had benefited from Premadasa's policies, at how he had been totally forgotten by his successor. This was particularly apparent in the Hambantota district, where the UNP did much worse than in the previous year. Premadasa's son Sajith resided there, and the fact that he had not been invited to participate in any election meeting made the current neglect of Premadasa obvious.