Parliamentary elections were held in
Ceylon in March 1965.
Background
The
SLFP
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය, translit=Śrī Laṁkā Nidahas Pakṣaya; ta, இலங்கை சுதந்திரக் கட்சி, translit=Ilaṅkai Cutantirak Ka ...
government of
Sirimavo Bandaranaike lost its majority in December 1964 when some MPs deserted it over the
nationalization of
Lakehouse Newspapers.
Bandaranaike's program of extensive
nationalization had alarmed many of the island's business interests, which rallied to the
United National Party
The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...
. The economy had been stagnant, and
rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...
had been imposed in the face of persistent food shortages.
The UNP promised to form a ''National Front'' government to oppose the SLFP and its
Marxist allies. UNP leader
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake ( Sinhala: ඩඩ්ලි ශෙල්ටන් සේනානායක: ta, டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா; 19 June 1911 – 13 April 1973), was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as Prime Min ...
promised cabinet posts both to the small
Sinhala nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
parties and the
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party).
Results
The UNP did not obtain a majority, but was able to govern as a National Front with the ITAK's support.
Notes
References
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{{Sri Lankan elections
Ceylon
1965 in Ceylon
Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka
March 1965 events in Asia
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results