title: Balapitiya Electoral District
text: # Balapitiya Electoral District
  
  Balapitiya electoral district was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Balapitiya in Galle District, Southern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing members of Parliament. The existing 160 mainly single-member electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral districts. Balapitiya electoral district was replaced by the Galle multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections.
  
  ## Members of Parliament
  
  Key
  
  Independent SLFP UNP
  
  | Election | Member | Party | Term |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1960 (March) | Lakshman de Silva | SLFP | 1960 |
  | 1960 (July) | Lakshman de Silva | SLFP | 1960-1965 |
  | 1965 | L. C. de Silva | LSSP | 1965-1968 |
  | 1968 parliamentary by-election | Lakshman de Silva | UNP | 1968-1970 |
  | 1970 | Weerasinghe de Silva | LSSP | 1970-1977 |
  | 1977 | Norman Waidyaratna | UNP | 1977-1989 |
  
  ## Elections
  
  ### 1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election
  
  Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960:
  
  | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Lakshman de Silva | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 8,465 | 32.86 |
  | L. C. de Silva | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 7,818 | 30.35 |
  | Ian de Zoysa | United National Party | Elephant | 6,235 | 24.20 |
  | Dharmasekera Welaratne | | Sun | 1,304 | 5.06 |
  | A. S. de Zoysa Jayatilaka | | Umbrella | 1,027 | 3.99 |
  | Wijayananda Lokusuriya | | Lamp | 525 | 2.04 |
  | A. P. de Zoysa | Buddhist Republican Party | Flower | 145 | 0.56 |
  | Jayasena Munasinghe | | Cockrel | 116 | 0.45 |
  | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 25,635 | 99.51 |
  | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 126 | 0.49 |
  | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 25,761 | 100.00 |
  | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 34,384 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 74.92 |
  
  ### 1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election
  
  Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960:
  
  | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Lakshman de Silva | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 13,812 | 55.31 |
  | V. T. de Zoysa | United National Party | Elephant | 10,841 | 43.42 |
  | Jayasena Munasinghe | Buddhist Republican Party | Flower | 317 | 1.27 |
  | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 24,970 | 100.00 |
  | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | - | 0.0 |
  | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 24,970 | 100.00 |
  | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 34,384 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72.62 |
  
  ### 1965 Parliamentary General Election
  
  Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965:
  
  | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | L. C. de Silva | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 16,615 | 49.39 |
  | Lakshman de Silva | Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party | Sun | 16,519 | 49.10 |
  | Jayasena Munasinghe | | Lamp | 164 | 0.49 |
  | P. L. V. Gunawardane | | Eye | 130 | 0.39 |
  | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 33,428 | 99.36 |
  | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 214 | 0.64 |
  | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 33,642 | 100.00 |
  | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 41,823 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 80.44 |
  
  ### 1968 Parliamentary By-Election
  
  In December 1967 the incumbent, Lokuge de Silva, was unseated on the ground that he had a contract with government. The results of the 1968 parliamentary by-election held on 17 December for the electorate:
  
  | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Lakshman de Silva | United National Party | Elephant | 19,485 | 51.87 |
  | Weerasinghe de Silva | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 17,955 | 47.78 |
  | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 37,440 | 99.67 |
  | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 124 | 0.33 |
  | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 37,564 | 100.00 |
  | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 44,043 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 85.29 |
  
  ### 1970 Parliamentary General Election
  
  Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970:
  
  | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Weerasinghe de Silva | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 22,659 | 59.18 |
  | Lakshman de Silva | United National Party | Elephant | 14,431 | 37.69 |
  | E. M. M. Wijerama | | Bell | 951 | 2.48 |
  | Jayasena Munasinghe | | Ship | 169 | 0.44 |
  | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 38,210 | 99.80 |
  | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 76 | 0.20 |
  | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 38,286 | 100.00 |
  | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 45,862 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 83.48 |
  
  ### 1977 Parliamentary General Election
  
  Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977:
  
  | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Norman Waidyaratna | United National Party | Elephant | 15,745 | 56.60 |
  | Weerasinghe de Silva | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 6,803 | 24.46 |
  | Lakshman de Silva | Independent | Hand | 4,556 | 16.38 |
  | H. P Sudarman de Silva | | Eye | 343 | 1.23 |
  | W. S. M. M. Abeysekera | | Table | 156 | 0.56 |
  | S. de S. Alankara | | Lamp | 128 | 0.46 |
  | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 27,731 | 99.69 |
  | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 87 | 0.31 |
  | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 27,818 | 100.00 |
  | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 33,016 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 84.26 |
  