WORLD’S ONLY WOMAN P.M.

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29263, 22 July 1960, Page 15

WORLD’S ONLY WOMAN P.M.

Surprise Win In Ceylon Elections (A/.Z. Press Association-—Copyright) ' (Rec. 10 p.m.) COLOMBO, July 21. Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike, resting at her country home after an acute attack of appendicitis, learned today that her Sri Lanka Freedom Party had won a crushing victory in yesterday’s Ceylon elections.

The attractive 44-year-old widow, now the world’s only woman Prime Minister, entered politics only after the assassination of her husband, Solomon, then Prime Minister, last September.

The latest reports showed that with only two results undeclared her party held 74 seats out of 157 in the House of Representatives, compared with -30 seats gained by her main rival, the Conservative United National Party, led by Mr Dudley Senanayake. Once her party has exercised its right -to nominate six members to represent special interests she will control 80 votes.

Mr Senanayake, Prime Minister of the minority caretaker Government since the last General Elect on only four months ago, has tendered his resignatior to the Governor-General, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke. Mrs Bandaranaike was later sworn in as Prime Minister of Ceylon. The S.L.F.P. is now the biggest single party in Parliament and able to govern without outside help. She achieved her election coup in the face of U.N.P. charges that she was selling out Ceylon to “Marxist dictatorship,” and that no woman was capable of running the country, but she is expected to pursue a policy of mild socialism, with the accent on social welfare She said she favours "progressive” nationalisation but has promised to leave Ceylon’s tea and rubber plantations in British hands for the time being. Many observers doubt whether she will agree to remain Prime Minister for long -and she must fight a by-election to seek a Parliamentary seat within four months.

The S.L.FJ’. majority, after winning only 46 seats at the last

election, came as a sensation to most political observers, many of whom forecast a new spurt towards the supremacy of Mr Senanayake. Mrs Bandaranaike’s success was bplieved largely due to the S.L.F.P.’s no-contest alliance with the Trotskyists and Communists. which prevented splitting the nti-U.N.P. vote. Si has effectively ended the political stalemate which has kept Ceylon without an effective government since last March, and on the basis of results announced so far her party has enough seats to command a working majority This may mean she will be able to. govern without offering posts to her partners in the alliances. With the two results still outstanding, the . tate of the parties late this morning was: S.L.F.P., 74 seats (30 gains, five losses); U.N.P.. 30 <2B losses, six gains); Federal Party 15; T otskyists L.S.P. 12; Communists 4; J V.P. 2; Independents and minor parties 12.