The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) suffered high profile losses in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections this week, losing seats to paramilitary groups, government-aligned organisations and other Tamil nationalist parties, amidst allegations of election fraud.

Tensions build over in Jaffna in the early hours of the morning, with Sri Lankan security forces attacking Tamils who had gathered outside Jaffna Central College where a recount was taking place. The dramatic recount stretched late into the night in Jaffna, as TNA members were engaged within an intra-party battle over preferential votes, in a close fight to secure seats.

The recount of preferential votes in Jaffna has caused controversy within the TNA and amidst the wider Tamil community, as Praviinaa Raviraj - daughter of assassinated TNA MP Raviraj and current TNA candidate Sashikala Raviraj - suggested some foul-play had occurred in the recount.

Early reports had suggested that Mrs Raviraj had come second or third in the vote count and was therefore guaranteed a seat. However after a recount was called, reportedly at the request of another senior ITAK politician, the results confirmed Mrs Raviraj narrowly losing out on a seat.

Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa clan have dominated the island’s general elections this week, with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) sweeping polls on a staunchly Sinhala nationalist campaign and putting the party firmly in control of parliament.

BREAKING - Sri Lankan police officers and armed Special Task Force troops have attacked Tamils in Jaffna, as they gathered outside an election office where a recount is currently taking place.#srilankaelection2020 #SriLankaElection #LKAElections2020 #LkaElection2020

Indian prime minister Narenda Modi called Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa earlier today to congratulate him on an “impressive electoral performance by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party,” according to an official Indian statement.

The call to Rajapaksa came even before the final results have been announced, with the Sinhala nationalist party dominating polls in the south.

^{Photo: Facebook/Chavakachcheri Hindu Primary School}

A man was victim to voter fraud at the Chavakachcheri Hindu Primary School polling station in Jaffna on Wednesday.

The officials on duty had discovered that someone had illegally cast a vote under another man’s name. Ramanathan, husband of Chavakachcheri Municipal Councilor and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) member Sivamangai Ramanathan, found out that someone had used his name to cast a vote when he visited the polling station.

Updated 23.55 GMT

The Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna's (SLPP) have swept polls across the South on their Sinhala nationalist platform as predicted, whilst the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lost seats in the North-East, with final results just announced in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections.

As results were still being declared Indian prime minister Narendra Modi called Mahinda Rajapaksa to congratulate him on the polls, stating the clan had put in an “impressive electoral performance” according to an official press release. 

Polls closed in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections on Wednesday with an all island turnout of 71%, and an even higher turnout in many regions across the North-East.

Though across the island the figure is a six percent decrease in turnout when compared to the elections in 2015, some had expected it to be much lower due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Writing on the repeated fear-mongering over a revival of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), J.S Tissainayagam notes how the spectre of the LTTE has been used as a “foil to win elections and justify lapses in good governance”; as well as, a means of justifying the “justify continued coercion of the Tamils”; and, to attract “foreign military assistance for counterterrorism”.

Regrouping the LTTE

Sri Lankan Prime Minister and leader of the SLPP, Mahinda Rajapaksa, told reporters that he was confident his party would secure a two-thirds majority, and if not he would “make arrangements” if the party does not receive it during the election.

Speaking to journalists at Weeraketiya, where he cast his vote, Rajapaksa claimed;

“There is a need for a parliament with a two-thirds majority. We are ready to face the economic challenges. We have already faced challenges more severe than these”.