Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
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The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) is a left-wing political party in Sri Lanka. At the last parliamentary elections, 2 April 2004, the party was part of the United People's Freedom Alliance that won 45.6% of the popular vote and 105 out of 225 seats.
The name MEP was first used for the electoral alliance, led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and including the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party, that won the 1956 elections. It became defunct on the expulsion of Philip Gunawardena and PH William Silva from the cabinet of SWRD Bandaranaike.
The current party called MEP was founded in 1959 by Philip Gunawardena and PH William Silva, on the basis of Gunawardena's previous party and founded on the principles of the earlier MEP. At the General Election of March 1960, the MEP obtained 10 parliamentary seats.
There are two MEP representatives in the current parliament including one National list MP. Two representatives are Minister of Urban Development & Sacred Areas Development, Dinesh Gunawardena and the deputy speaker, Geethanjana Gunawardena.
Today the party is led by Dinesh Gunawardene, son of Philip Gunawardena.
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