The UPFA won the Hambantota District with 196,980 votes (53.84%) and won 4 seats.

The UNP managed to win 2 seats with 130,433 votes (35.65%). The JVP managed to win one seat with 36,527 votes (9.98%).

Other parties failed to win any seats from the district. The Bodu Jana Peramuna managed to come at the fourth place with 419 votes.

Hambantota was the first district where the final result was released.

Nimal Siripala de Silva today stated that the President will decide on who will become the Prime Minister of the next parliament.

He made this statement earlier today, speaking after casting his vote in Badulla.

De Silva had earlier supported the naming of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM if the UPFA wins the election.

At a recent meeting, he said that he sacrificed his position of Prime Minister to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

On Friday (14) de Silva signed the letter sent by six senior SLFP members expressing their support for Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Matale District UPFA candidate Janaka Bandara Tennakoon slammed the decision by President MAithripala Sirisena to sack the General Secretary of the UPFA Susil Premajayantha and the General Secretary of the SLFP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

Speaking at a media briefing at his house in Dambulla, Tennakoon said that they would launch 'Plan B' if they are not reinstated.

He said that the SLFP is not ready to accept the dictats of Sirikotha and that they will protect the party come what may.

Tennakoon also said that even in a village 'Maranadhara Society' the General Assembly is convened to change the Secretaries or Treasurers. The Chairman cannot remove them on his personal decision, he said. That is what democracy is, he pointed out.

The election operation room of the UPFA was removed from the SLFP headquarters, hours after it was announced that President Maithripala Sirisena had sacked the General Secretary of the UPFA and the General Secretary of the SLFP.

The reason for the removal was unclear. It was reported that this was done under orders from 'a higher authority'.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the Chairman of the Elections Committee of the UPFA.

Colombo District Court today gave an injuction order against the Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa acting in the capacities of General Secretaries of the UPFA and SLFP respectively.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa responded to President Maithripala Sirisena's lengthy letter with a short reply.

He acknowledges that he has received Sirisena's letter. Rajapaksa refuted all allegations leveled at him and said that he handed over the party to Sirisena days after the election defeat in January.

Rajapaksa also said that he believes Sirisena will accpet the people's mandate after the general election.

Related: Rajapaksa Will Not Be Appointed Prime Minister, Sirisena Informs (SEE FULL LETTER)

Matale District UPFA candidate and former Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon demanded that former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party membership should be suspended for accusing the party openly.

Writing a letter to party Secretary General, Tennakoon urged the convening of the Central Committee to take a decision.

Kumaratunga had recently lashed out at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Chairman of the UPFA elections committee. She had also said that there was no possibility for her to support the UPFA in the forthcoming election.

Tennakoon started his letter in a poem, which said that the daughter ws ruining the party which her father and mother had built and nourished.

Kumaratunga's father SWRD Bandaranaike was the founding leader of the SLFP. Her mother was the longest serving party leader.