Eastern Provincial Council

Eastern Provincial Council
கிழக்கு மாகாண சபை
2nd Eastern Provincial Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Chairman
Ariyawathi Galappaththy, UPFA
Since 1 October 2012
Deputy Chairman
M. S. Subair, UPFA
Since 1 October 2012
A. N. Zainulabdeen, SLMC
Since 6 February 2015
Leader of the Opposition
S. Thandayuthapani, TNA
Since 28 September 2012
Chief Secretary
D. M. S. Abeygunawardena
Since 24 September 2012
Structure
Seats 37
Political groups

Government (22)

Opposition (15)

  •      TNA (11)
  •      UNP (4)
Elections
Last election
 8 September 2012
Meeting place
Provincial Council Assembly Hall, Assembly Secretariat, Trincomalee
Website
ep.gov.lk

Eastern Provincial Council (Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாண சபை Kiḻakku Mākāṇa Capai; EPC) is the provincial council for the Eastern Province in Sri Lanka. In accordance with the Sri Lankan constitution, EPC has legislative power over a variety of matters including agriculture, education, health, housing, local government, planning, road transport and social services. The constitution also gives it powers over police and land but successive central governments have refused to devolve these powers to the provinces. EPC has 37 members elected using the open list proportional representation system.

History

In an attempt to end the Sri Lankan Civil War the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed on 29 July 1987. One of the requirements of the accord was that the Sri Lankan government should devolve powers to the provinces.[1] Accordingly on 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987.[2][3] On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order.[4] The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces.[5] On 2 June 1988 elections were held for provincial councils for Central, Southern and Western provinces.

The Indo-Lanka Accord also required the merger of the Eastern and Northern provinces into one administrative unit. The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent. Crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion.[1] On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Eastern and Northern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected council, creating the North Eastern Province.[4] Elections in the newly merged North Eastern Province were held on 19 November 1988. The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, an Indian backed paramilitary group, won control of the North Eastern provincial council.

On 1 March 1990, just as the Indian Peace Keeping Force were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal, Chief Minister of the North Eastern Province, moved a motion in the North Eastern Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam.[6] President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving the provincial council and imposing direct rule on the province.

The proclamations issued by President Jayewardene in September 1988 merging the Northern and Eastern provinces were only meant to be a temporary measure until a referendum was held in the Eastern Province on a permanent merger between the two provinces. However, the referendum was never held and successive Sri Lankan presidents issued proclamations annually extending the life of the "temporary" entity.[7] The merger was bitterly opposed by Sri Lankan nationalists. The combined North Eastern Province occupied one third of Sri Lanka. The thought of the rebel Tamil Tigers controlling this province, directly or indirectly, alarmed them greatly. On 14 July 2006, after a long campaign against the merger, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna filed three separate petitions with the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka requesting a separate Provincial Council for the East.[4] On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null and void and had no legal effect.[4] The North Eastern Province was formally de-merged into the Eastern and Northern provinces on 1 January 2007. The Eastern province was ruled directly from Colombo until 10 May 2008 when elections were held.

Chairmen, deputy chairmen, chief ministers, leaders of the opposition and chief secretaries

Chairmen

  • Ajju Mohamed Mohamed Faiz, UPFA (2008-)[8]
  • Ariyawathi Galappaththy, UPFA-SLFP (2012-present)[9]

Deputy Chairmen

  • M. K. D. S. Gunawardena, UPFA-SLFP (2008-)[8]
  • M. S. Subair, UPFA-ACMC (2012-present)[9]

Chief Ministers

Leaders of the Opposition

Chief Secretaries

  • R. Thiakalingam, (2007)[17]
  • H. M. Herath Abeyweera, (2007)[18]
  • V. P. Balasingam, (2008-12)[19]
  • D. M. S. Abeygunawardena, (2012-present)[20][21]

Election results

2008 provincial council election

Results of the 1st Eastern provincial council election held on 10 May 2008:[22]

Alliances and parties Ampara Batticaloa Trincomalee Bonus
Seats 		Total
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
  United People's Freedom Alliance (ACMC, NC, SLFP, TMVP et al.) 144,247 52.96% 8 105,341 58.09% 6 59,298 42.99% 4 2 308,886 52.21% 20
  United National Party (SLMC, UNP) 121,272 44.52% 6 58,602 32.31% 4 70,858 51.37% 5 0 250,732 42.38% 15
  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 4,745 1.74% 0 379 0.21% 0 4,266 3.09% 1 0 9,390 1.59% 1
  Tamil Democratic National Alliance (EPRLF(P), PLOTE, TULF et al.) 7,714 4.25% 1 0 7,714 1.30% 1
  Eelam People's Democratic Party 5,418 2.99% 0 0 5,418 0.92% 0
  Independent Groups 737 0.27% 0 823 0.45% 0 1,073 0.78% 0 0 2,633 0.45% 0
United Socialist Party 296 0.11% 0 943 0.52% 0 1,309 0.95% 0 0 2,548 0.43% 0
  Eelavar Democratic Front (EROS) 1,816 1.00% 0 459 0.33% 0 0 2,275 0.38% 0
United National Alliance 597 0.22% 0 0 597 0.10% 0
People's Front of Liberation Tigers 63 0.02% 0 157 0.09% 0 163 0.12% 0 0 383 0.06% 0
All Lanka Tamil United Front 378 0.27% 0 0 378 0.06% 0
New Sinhala Heritage 312 0.11% 0 0 312 0.05% 0
National Development Front 100 0.04% 0 89 0.06% 0 0 189 0.03% 0
  Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya 11 0.00% 0 85 0.05% 0 13 0.01% 0 0 109 0.02% 0
Muslim Liberation Front 39 0.02% 0 0 39 0.01% 0
Sri Lanka National Front 21 0.01% 0 9 0.01% 0 0 30 0.01% 0
Sri Lanka Progressive Front 17 0.01% 0 9 0.01% 0 0 26 0.00% 0
Ruhuna People's Party 9 0.00% 0 5 0.00% 0 0 14 0.00% 0
Liberal Party 3 0.00% 0 0 3 0.00% 0
Valid Votes 272,392 100.00% 14 181,355 100.00% 11 137,929 100.00% 10 2 591,676 100.00% 37
Rejected Votes 20,997 21,088 12,695 54,780
Total Polled 293,389 202,443 150,624 646,456
Registered Electors 409,308 330,950 242,463 982,721
Turnout 71.68% 61.17% 62.12% 65.78%

2012 provincial council election

Results of the 2nd Eastern Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012:[23]

Alliances and parties Ampara Batticaloa Trincomalee Bonus
Seats 		Total
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
  United People's Freedom Alliance (ACMC, NC, SLFP, TMVP et al.) 92,530 33.66% 5 64,190 31.17% 4 43,324 28.38% 3 2 200,044 31.58% 14
  Tamil National Alliance (EPRLF (S), ITAK, PLOTE, TELO, TULF) 44,749 16.28% 2 104,682 50.83% 6 44,396 29.08% 3 0 193,827 30.59% 11
  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 83,658 30.43% 4 23,083 11.21% 1 26,176 17.15% 2 0 132,917 20.98% 7
  United National Party 48,028 17.47% 3 2,434 1.18% 0 24,439 16.01% 1 0 74,901 11.82% 4
  Independent Groups 1,178 0.43% 0 9,019 4.38% 0 2,164 1.42% 0 0 12,361 1.95% 0
National Freedom Front 9,522 6.24% 1 0 9,522 1.50% 1
  Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 2,305 0.84% 0 72 0.03% 0 777 0.51% 0 0 3,154 0.50% 0
  Eelavar Democratic Front (EROS) 531 0.19% 0 1,777 0.86% 0 385 0.25% 0 0 2,693 0.43% 0
Socialist Alliance (CPSL, DLF, LSSP) 1,489 0.54% 0 379 0.18% 0 612 0.40% 0 0 2,480 0.39% 0
All Lanka Tamil United Front 76 0.03% 0 384 0.25% 0 0 460 0.07% 0
United Socialist Party 103 0.04% 0 37 0.02% 0 149 0.10% 0 0 289 0.05% 0
Sri Lanka Labour Party 111 0.04% 0 50 0.02% 0 107 0.07% 0 0 268 0.04% 0
Our National Front 163 0.08% 0 0 163 0.03% 0
United Lanka Great Council 10 0.00% 0 15 0.01% 0 97 0.06% 0 0 122 0.02% 0
United Lanka People's Party 74 0.03% 0 16 0.01% 0 0 90 0.01% 0
Jana Setha Peramuna 31 0.01% 0 19 0.01% 0 35 0.02% 0 0 85 0.01% 0
Patriotic National Front 7 0.00% 0 78 0.05% 0 0 85 0.01% 0
Muslim Liberation Front 42 0.02% 0 15 0.01% 0 0 57 0.01% 0
Ruhuna People's Party 13 0.00% 0 3 0.00% 0 0 16 0.00% 0
Valid Votes 274,935 100.00% 14 205,936 100.00% 11 152,663 100.00% 10 2 633,534 100.00% 37
Rejected Votes 16,744 17,223 11,324 45,291
Total Polled 291,679 223,159 163,987 678,825
Registered Electors 441,287 347,099 245,363 1,033,749
Turnout 66.10% 64.29% 66.83% 65.67%

References

  1. 1 2 "Indo Sri Lanka Agreement, 1987". TamilNation.
  2. ↑ "Introduction". Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka.
  3. ↑ "Amendments to the 1978 Constitution". Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "North-East merger illegal: SC". LankaNewspapers.com. 17 October 2006.
  5. ↑ "Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999". International Centre for Ethnic Studies9.
  6. ↑ Ferdinando, Shamindra (10 September 2000). "I'm no traitor, says Perumal". Sunday Island (Sri Lanka).
  7. ↑ V.S. Sambandan (14 November 2003). "Sri Lanka's North-East to remain united for another year". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  8. 1 2 "UNP, SLMC councilors boycott EPC first sitting". TamilNet. 5 June 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Inaugural Meeting of Newly Elected Council". Eastern Provincial Council.
  10. ↑ "Pillayan sworn in as CM for Eastern Province". TamilNet. 16 May 2008.
  11. ↑ "Majeed sworn in as Eastern CM". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 18 September 2012.
  12. ↑ "New EP Chief Minister takes oaths". Daily Mirror. 6 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hakim takes oath as UNP national list parliamentarian". TamilNet. 10 July 2008.
  14. ↑ "Grave concern over the effects of urgent bill". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 6 November 2011.
  15. ↑ "Eastern Province Chief Minister assumes duties". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 30 September 2012.
  16. ↑ Satyapalan, Franklin R. (30 September 2012). "Inaugural session of Eastern PC tomorrow". Sunday Island (Sri Lanka).
  17. ↑ Gurunathan, Sinniah (4 February 2007). "NPC Secretariat at Kanniya, EPC at Trincomalee". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  18. ↑ "Sinhalese appointed East's Chief Secretary". TamilNet. 6 April 2007.
  19. ↑ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1543/03. 31 March 2008.
  20. ↑ "Colombo appoints Sinhala Chief Secretary, sidelines Tamils in EPC". TamilNet. 25 September 2012.
  21. ↑ "New Chief Secretary Assumed Duty". Eastern Provincial Council.
  22. ↑ "Provincial Council Elections 2008 Final District Results: - Eastern Province". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  23. ↑ "Provincial Council Elections 2012: Eastern Province". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
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