President Rajapaksa-led UPFA has secured most of the local bodies in Sri Lanka

The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), has, however failed to secure the most important them of all, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), despite holding staggered elections using emergency regulations.

While the main opposition, United National Party (UNP), has secured the CMC, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a member of the ruling coalition, has secured Kalmunai Municipal Council.

However, the UNP has failed to win Nuwara Eliya and Kandy municipal councils, which were traditionally regarded as strong UNP powerbases.

The Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPF) led by former MP Mano Ganeshan has won six seats in the CMC.

Serious violence

NSSP leader Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne is among those elected from the DPF.

	Monitors say though Saturday's poll was mainly peaceful, it was neither free nor fair

UPFA's former coalition partner, the JVP has only secured five seats.

Serious violence has been reported in Mulleriyawa, a Colombo suburb, during the elections on Saturday.

Three people including presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra was shot dead and Duminda Silva, MP, is in intensive care after a brain surgery.

Monitoring group Caffe told BBC Sandeshaya that although no serious violence has been reported apart from the incident in Mulleriyawa, the election has not been free and fair as state resources were used for campaigning.

There have been accusations that the defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, violated the establishment code in campaigning on behalf of the UPFA.

Ravaya journalist and activist Lasantha Ruhunage has complained to the lection commissioner against Mr Rajapaksa campaigning on behalf of Milinda Moragoda, the UPFA Colombo mayoral candidate.