Galle Electoral District (1947–1989)
# Galle Electoral District (1947–1989)

Galle electoral district was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Galle 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. Galle electoral district was replaced by the Galle multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections, the first under the proportional representation system, Galle continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district.

## Members of Parliament

Key

Independent SLFP UNP LSSP

| Election | Member | Party | Term |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1947 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Bolshevik–Leninist Party | 1947-1952 |
| 1952 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | 1952-1956 |
| 1956 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna | 1956-1960 |
| 1960 (March) | W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena | United National Party | 1960 |
| 1960 (July) | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Lanka Prajathanthravadi Pakshaya | 1960-1965 |
| 1965 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party | 1965-1970 |
| 1970 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | United National Party | 1970-1977 |
| 1977 | Albert de Silva | United National Party | 1977-1979 |
| 1979 by-election | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | United National Party | 1979-1988 |

## Elections

### 1947 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 1st parliamentary election held between 23 August 1947 and 20 September 1947:

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Bolshevik–Leninist Party | Star | 16,588 | 53.69 |
| | H. W. Amarasuriya | United National Party | Elephant | 14,092 | 45.61 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 30,680 | 99.30 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 214 | 0.70 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 30,894 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 48,340 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63.91 |

### 1952 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | | Umbrella | 17,897 | 56.87 |
| Sumitta Dahanayake | | Star | 12,897 | 40.98 |
| C. G. E. Bertram de Silva | | Hand | 479 | 1.52 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 31,273 | 99.38 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 196 | 0.62 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 31,469 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 43,765 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 71.90 |

### 1956 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 3rd parliamentary election held between 5 April 1956 and 10 April 1956:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | | Hand | 21,971 | 66.17 |
| W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena | United National Party | Elephant | 11,015 | 33.17 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 32,986 | 99.34 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 218 | 0.66 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 33,204 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 52,827 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62.85 |

### 1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena | United National Party | Elephant | 10,480 | 49.16 |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | | Umbrella | 9,997 | 46.89 |
| Vincent Wijenayake | | Star | 411 | 1.84 |
| E. W. J. Serasinghe | | Hand | 250 | 1.17 |
| A. M. Ismail | | Eye | 139 | 0.65 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 21,277 | 99.80 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 42 | 0.20 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 21,319 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 28,369 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 75.15 |

### 1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | | Umbrella | 10,902 | 51.52 |
| W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena | United National Party | Elephant | 10,458 | 49.42 |
| P. G. Somadasa | | Cartwheel | 251 | 1.19 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 21,111 | 99.76 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 50 | 0.24 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 21,161 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 28,369 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 74.59 |

### 1965 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | | Sun | 18,416 | 78.76 |
| W. T. Wijekulasuriya | | Hand | 7,776 | 33.25 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 23,194 | 99.19 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 191 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 23,383 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 33,785 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69.21 |

### 1970 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | United National Party | Elephant | 16,940 | 56.00 |
| W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 13,138 | 43.43 |
| J. R. G. Abeywickreme | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | Bell | 113 | 0.37 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 30,191 | 99.81 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 57 | 1.89 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 30,248 | 100 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 37,385 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 80.91 |

### 1977 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977:

| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Albert de Silva | United National Party | Elephant | 15,861 | 42.32 |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | Nationalities Unity Organisation | Umbrella | 10,852 | 28.96 |
| Raja Kulatilleke | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 6,448 | 17.21 |
| Mansoor Marikkar | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 4,314 | 11.51 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 37,475 | 99.82 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 67 | 0.18 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 37,542 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 45,100 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 83.24 |
