# Colombo Central Electoral District

Colombo Central electoral district was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the city of Colombo in Colombo District, Western Province. The district was one of three multi-member constituencies, with three members, the others were Balangoda and Kadugannawa. was a three-member constituency. 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. Colombo Central electoral district was replaced by the Colombo multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections, the first under the PR system, though Colombo Central continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district.

## Members of Parliament

Key
Communist Party SLFP UNP Ceylon Labour Party
| Election | Member 1 | Party | Term | Member 2 | Party | Term | Member 3 | Party | Term |
| 1947 | A. E. Goonesinha | LP | 1947-1952 | T.B. Jayah | UNP | 1947-1952 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1952 | M. C. M. Kaleel | UNP | 1952-1960 | Razik Fareed | UNP | 1952-1960 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1956 | M. S. Themis | MEP–SLFP | | Razik Fareed | UNP | 1952-1960 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1960 (March) | M. C. M. Kaleel | UNP | 1960-1965 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | UNP | 1960 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1960 (July) | M. C. M. Kaleel | UNP | 1960-1965 | Razik Fareed | UNP | 1960-1965 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1965 | Falil Caffoor | UNP | 1965-1977 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | UNP | 1965-1989 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1970 | Falil Caffoor | UNP | 1965-1977 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | UNP | 1965-1989 | Pieter Keuneman | CPC | 1947-1977 |
| 1977 | M. Jabir A. Cader | UNP | 1977-1989 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | UNP | 1965-1989 | Haleem Ishak | SLFP | 1977-1989 |

## Elections
### 1947 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 1st parliamentary election held between 23 August 1947 and 20 September 1947 for the district:
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| | A. E. Goonesinha | Labour Party | Bicycle | 23,470 | 22.84 |
| | T. B. Jayah | United National Party | Cartwheel | 18,439 | 17.94 |
| | Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Umbrella | 15,435 | 15.02 |
| | M. H. M. Munas | | House | 8,600 | 8.37 |
| | Ayisha Rauff | Independent | Tree | 8,486 | 8.26 |
| | V. J. Perera | | Elephant | 5,950 | 5.79 |
| | V. A. Sugathadasa | United National Party | Lamp | 4,898 | 4.77 |
| | G.W. Harry de Silva | | Scales | 4,141 | 4.03 |
| | V. A. Kandiah | | Clock | 3,391 | 3.30 |
| | S. Sarawanamuttu | | Chair | 2,951 | 2.87 |
| | P. Givendrasingha | | Hand | 1,569 | 1.53 |
| | K. Dahanayake | | Cup | 997 | 0.97 |
| | K. Weeraiah | | Key | 352 | 0.34 |
| | K. C. F. Deen | | Star | 345 | 0.34 |
| | N. R. Perera | | Butterfly | 259 | 0.25 |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 99,283 | 96.61 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 3,489 | 3.39 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 102,772 | 100.00 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 55,994 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 183.54 |

### 1950 Parliamentary by-election

Following the resignation of Tuan Burhanudeen Jayah a parliamentary by-election for his seat was held on 6 May 1950:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| M. C. M. Kaleel | United National Party | House | 14,796 | 46.85 |
| S. A. Wickremasinghe | Communist Party | Umbrella | 12,501 | 39.59 |
| M. S. Abubaker | | Elephant | 2,768 | 3.90 |
| Ayisha Rauf | | Star | 1,232 | 17.74% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 31,297 | 99.11 |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 282 | 0.89 |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 31,579 | 100 |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 55,994 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56.40 |

### 1952 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Umbrella | 32,346 | 27.28% |
| M. C. M. Kaleel | United National Party | House | 25,647 | 21.63% |
| Razik Fareed | United National Party | Key | 24,911 | 21.01% |
| A. E. Goonesinha | Labour Party | Bicycle | 19,843 | 16.74% |
| P. de S. Kularatne | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Elephant | 14,556 | 12.28% |
| Piyaseela Givendrasingha | | Hand | 751 | 0.63% |
| H.L. Perera | | Star | 517 | 0.44% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 118,570 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 4,217 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 122,788 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 58,400 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 210.25% |

### 1956 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 3rd parliamentary election held between 5 April 1956 and 10 April 1956 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Star | 45,296 | 30.62% |
| Razik Fareed | United National Party | Umbrella | 26,512 | 17.92% |
| M. S. Themis | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna | Hand | 20,378 | 13.77% |
| M. C. M. Kaleel | United National Party | Cartwheel | 20,338 | 13.75% |
| V. A. Sugathadasa | United National Party | Elephant | 18,234 | 12.33% |
| A. E. Goonesinha | Labour Party | Bicycle | 16,678 | 11.27% |
| A. Ally Mohamood | | Flower | 501 | 0.34% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 147,937 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 3,901 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 151,838 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 70,022 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 216.84% |

### 1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 4th parliamentary election held on 19 March 1960 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| M. C. M. Kaleel | United National Party | Pair of Spectacles | 33,121 | 19.02% |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Star | 30,574 | 17.56% |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | United National Party | Elephant | 29,828 | 17.13% |
| P.B. Thampoe | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 22,228 | 12.76% |
| Razik Fareed | United National Party | Umbrella | 21,033 | 12.08% |
| M. S. Themis | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna | Cartwheel | 19,093 | 10.96% |
| E. S. Ratnaweera | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 11,859 | 6.81% |
| Abdul Aziz | | Tree | 4,635 | 2.66% |
| D. J. S. Paranayapa | | Lamp | 414 | 0.24% |
| Vasanta Appadurai | | Ship | 404 | 0.23% |
| Cecil Wickremasinghe | | Eye | 397 | 0.23% |
| A. Kumarasinghe | | Flower | 220 | 0.13% |
| Premaranjan Lokeshvara | | Table | 171 | 0.10% |
| A. A. Mohamed | | Pot | 166 | 0.10% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 174,143 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 4,592 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 178,735 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 74,922 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 238.56% |

### 1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Razik Fareed | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 45,342 | 25.75% |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Star | 38,663 | 21.96% |
| M. C. M. Kaleel | United National Party | Eye | 37,486 | 21.29% |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | United National Party | Elephant | 35,035 | 19.90% |
| Bala Tampoe | Lanka Sama Samaja Party | Key | 16,406 | 9.32% |
| M. S. Themis | | Cartwheel | 3,164 | 1.80% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 176,096 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 3,488 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 179,584 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 74,922 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 239.69% |

### 1965 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 6th parliamentary election held on 22 March 1965 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Falil Caffoor | United National Party | Chair | 68,372 | 31.54% |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | United National Party | Elephant | 64,438 | 29.72% |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party (Moscow) | Star | 41,478 | 19.13% |
| M. Haleem Ishak | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 32,132 | 14.82% |
| Bala Tampoe | | Lamp | 4,559 | 2.10% |
| D. A. Piyadasa | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna | Cartwheel | 2,520 | 1.16% |
| N. Shanmugathasan | Communist Party (Peking) | Umbrella | 2,427 | 1.12% |
| O. S. A. Z. Abdeen | | Flower | 332 | 0.15% |
| Poopathy Saravanamuttu | | Ship | 282 | 0.13% |
| R. H. Jayasekera | | Scales | 268 | 0.12% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 216,808 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 4,638 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 221,446 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 93,468 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 236.92% |

### 1970 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 7th parliamentary election held on 27 May 1970 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | United National Party | Elephant | 69,310 | 29.48% |
| Falil Caffoor | United National Party | Chair | 63,624 | 27.06% |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Star | 58,557 | 24.91% |
| M. Haleem Ishak | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 41,716 | 17.74% |
| C. Durairajah | | Umbrella | 783 | 0.33% |
| M. Haroun Careem | | Bell | 413 | 0.18% |
| Poopathy Saravanamuttu | | Ship | 396 | 0.17% |
| Panangadan Raman Krishnan | | Scales | 307 | 0.13% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 235,106 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 5,491 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 240,597 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 99,265 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 242.38% |

### 1977 Parliamentary General Election

Results of the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977 for the district:
| Candidate | Party | Symbol | Votes | % |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | United National Party | Elephant | 94,128 | 36.32% |
| M. Jabir A. Cader | United National Party | Eye | 58,972 | 22.76% |
| M. Haleem Ishak | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Hand | 53,777 | 20.75% |
| M. S. Sellasamy | Ceylon Workers' Congress | Cockerel | 26,964 | 10.41% |
| Pieter Keuneman | Communist Party | Star | 24,568 | 9.48% |
| W. A. Sunil Perera | | Chair | 422 | 0.16% |
| R. Rathnasamy | | Flower | 202 | 0.08% |
| M. T. M. Saleem | | Table | 103 | 0.04% |
| Valid Votes | Valid Votes | Valid Votes | 259,136 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | Rejected Votes | 6,660 | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | Total Polled | 265,796 | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 106,403 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 249.80% |