Leader Maithripala Sirisena Founded 20 January 2004 | Secretary-General Mahinda Amaraweera Political position Left-wing | |
Headquarters 301, T. B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10, Sri Lanka. Youth wing Nil Balakaya (Dissolved) | ||
The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka funded under the leadership of Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2004. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Amaraweera is the general secretary of UPFA. The alliance was initially formed by:
Contents
History
In 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna signed a memorandum of understanding, of their political future. At the time the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Desha vimukthi Jantha Pakshaya, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and National congress signed that historic document against the UNP. At a later stage ahead of the 2004 elections, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party signed a memorandum of understanding with UPFA, so that CIC and LSSP candidates would take part in elections of the UPFA symbol.
At the 2004 legislative elections, the alliance won 45.6% of the popular vote and 105 out of 225 seats.
In April 2005, a key coalition party, JVP, left the alliance, causing the government headed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to become a minority government in the Sri Lankan parliament.
In the Sri Lankan presidential election, 2005, its candidate, Mahinda Rajapaksa, came first with 50.29% of the vote. Again in the Sri Lankan presidential election, 2010, Mahinda Rajapaksa won the election obtaining 57.88% of the vote for his second term of presidency. However his main rival at the election, Sarath Fonseka denied the result accusing the government of carrying out an unacceptable media campaign against him using the state media and manipulating the result and vowed going to court. But the government denied such allegations and imprisoned him on charges of treason and sedition.
In Opposition
In the Sri Lankan presidential election, 2015, its candidate, Mahinda Rajapaksa lost to common candidate Maithripala Sirisena. Rajapaksa manage only a 47.58% of the total votes cast. The UPFA lost its power in the parliament soon after the election. Sirisena was elected the leader of UPFA in March 2015.