Delft Divisional Council

In 1987 there was a major re-organisation of local government in Sri Lanka. District Development Councils were abolished and replaced by Divisional Councils (Pradeshiya Sabha or Pradesha Sabhai). The Pradeshiya Sabha Act No. 15 of 1987 was passed by Parliament on 15 April 1987 and on 1 January 1988 257 Divisional Councils started functioning. The Divisional Councils were generally commensurate with their namesake Divisional Secretary's Divisions. Delft Divisional Council was established as the local authority for the Delft DS Division. However, according to the pro-LTTE TamilNet, the Sri Lankan government had suspended all local government in the north and east of the country in 1983 using emergency regulations.{{cite news|title=TNA urges PM to put off NE local polls|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7457|newspaper=TamilNet |date=11 September 2002}} The civil war prevented elections from being held for DDC until 1998 as the LTTE did not hold elections when it controlled the area.{{cite news|title=Tight security for poll in Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/51510.stm|newspaper=BBC News|date=29 January 1998}}

In March 1994 elections were held in the east and in Vavuniya in the north. However, elections weren't held in other areas of the north, including the Jaffna peninsula, because most of these areas were at that time controlled by the rebel Tamil Tigers. In August 1995 the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive to recapture the Jaffna peninsula. By December 1995 the military had captured most of the Valikamam region of the peninsula, including the city of Jaffna. By 16 May 1996 the military had recaptured the entire peninsula.{{cite journal |author=Amit Baruha |date=14 June 1996|title=The Army Takes Jaffna |journal=Frontline}} In late 1996 the government announced elections would be held for 23 local authorities in Jaffna District, Kilinochchi District, Mannar District and Vavuniya District but following opposition from Tamil political parties postponed them.{{cite journal |date=15 December 1996|title=Local Elections Postponed |journal=Tamil Times |volume= XV |issue= 12 |pages=5–6 |issn=0266-4488 |url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tamil_Times_1996.12&uselang=en}} On 3 December 1997 the government announced that elections would be held for the 17 local authorities on the Jaffna peninsula.{{cite journal |date=15 December 1997|title=Local Elections in Jaffna |journal=Tamil Times |volume= XVI |issue= 12 |pages=5–6 |issn=0266-4488 |url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tamil_Times_1997.12&uselang=en}} The Tamil political parties were still opposed to holding elections as "normalcy" hadn't returned to the peninsula. The peninsula was under the firm grip of the Sri Lankan military and civil government had little, if any, role in the administration of the peninsula. The Tamil Tigers were also firmly against the elections being held. Despite these objections the elections were held on 29 January 1998.

Results of the local government election held on 29 January 1998:{{cite web |title=Election commissioner releases results |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=814 |date=30 January 1998|publisher= TamilNet}}{{cite journal |author=D.B.S. Jeyaraj |author-link=David Jeyaraj |date=15 February 1998|title=The Jaffna Elections |journal=Tamil Times |volume= XVII |issue= 2 |pages=12–15 |issn=0266-4488 |url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tamil_Times_1998.02&uselang=en}}

On 1 January 2002 local authority elections were called for the entire country.{{cite news|title=Local elections on March 1|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=6592|newspaper=TamilNet|date=1 January 2002}}{{cite news|title=Local polls on March 1|url=http://www.island.lk/2002/01/02/news02.html|newspaper=The Island, Sri Lanka|date=2 January 2002}} It was later announced that elections would be held on 25 March 2002 in the north and east, and on 20 March 2002 in the rest of the country.{{cite news|title=Local Govt. Ordinance amendment bill before SC|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=6698|newspaper=TamilNet|date=12 February 2002}}{{cite news|last=Weerawarne|first=Sumadhu|title=Local polls on March 20, 25|url=http://www.island.lk/2002/02/11/news08.html|newspaper=The Island, Sri Lanka|date=11 February 2002}} The normal life term of Sri Lankan local government bodies is four years. The life term of DDC expired in February 2002 but the central government extended this by another year, as the law allows. On 21 March 2002 the Election Commissioner announced that the elections in the north and east, except for eight local authorities in Ampara District, had been postponed until 25 September 2002.{{cite news|title=Northeast local elections postponed for Sept. 25|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=6785|newspaper=TamilNet|date=21 March 2002}}{{cite news|last=Weerawarne|first=Sumadhu|title=Elections chief has authority to put off local polls|url=http://www.island.lk/2002/02/22/news07.html|newspaper=The Island, Sri Lanka|date=22 March 2002}} On 17 September 2002 elections in the north and east were postponed, for a second time, until 25 June 2003.{{cite news|title=NE local government polls postponed|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7491|newspaper=TamilNet|date=17 September 2002}} Elections should have been held when the extension expired in February 2003 but in January 2003, following a request from the Tamil National Alliance, the central government instead dissolved DDC using emergency powers and instead put in place special commissioners to administer the local area.{{cite news|title=Jaffna local bodies to be administered by special commissioners|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=8158|newspaper=TamilNet|date=14 January 2003}} In June 2003 elections in the north and east were postponed, for a third time, until 24 January 2004.{{cite news|title=Northeast elections postponed till January 24|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=9254|newspaper=TamilNet|date=20 June 2003}} In January 2004 elections in the north and east, except for local authorities in Ampara District, were postponed, for a fourth time, until 23 October 2004.{{cite news|title=NorthEast local government elections postponed|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=11006|newspaper=TamilNet|date=20 January 2004}}

On 27 January 2006 local authority elections were called for the entire country.{{cite news|title=Nominations called for Local government elections|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=17025|newspaper=TamilNet|date=27 January 2006}}{{cite news|last=Satyapalan|first=Franklin R.|title=Polls chief sets LG polls nomination dates|url=http://www.island.lk/2006/01/28/news1.html|newspaper=The Island, Sri Lanka|date=28 January 2006}} It was later announced that elections would be held on 30 March 2006 across the entire country.{{cite news|title=Local Government polls on 30 March|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=17214|newspaper=TamilNet|date=16 February 2006}} The Election Commissioner subsequently postponed the elections in the north and Batticaloa District until 30 September 2006.{{cite news|title=Polling commences for 266 local councils in Sri Lanka|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=17620|newspaper=TamilNet|date=30 March 2006}} On 23 September 2006 elections in the north and Batticaloa District were postponed until 30 June 2007.{{cite news|title=Elections to 42 local bodies in NE postponed|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=19689|newspaper=TamilNet|date=23 September 2006}}{{cite news|last=Satyapalan|first=Franklin. R.|title=LG polls in North and East postponed again|url=http://www.island.lk/2006/09/21/news3.html|newspaper=The Island, Sri Lanka|date=21 September 2006}}

DDC continued to be administered by special commissioners until the 2011 elections.

Results of the local government election held on 23 July 2011:{{Cite web|title=Local Authorities Election - 23.07.2011 Jaffna District Delft Pradeshiya Sabha |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/2local_authorities2011_2/Delft_PS.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805190607/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/2local_authorities2011_2/Delft_PS.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-08-05 |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}

The following candidates were elected:{{Cite web|title=PREFERENCES |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/LGA%202011/2011.07.23/Jaffna/Delftpref.pdf |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Daniel Rechchiyan (UPFA), 999 preference votes (pv); Subramaniam Kobalasingam (UPFA), 631 pv; Sebasthi Pethuru Arulappu (UPFA), 627 pv; Mariyasebastiyampillai Amaladorin (UPFA), 376 pv; Sinnappu Edwardrasa (UPFA), 355 pv; Kumarasamy Sivananthan (UPFA), 346 pv; Jayakkuddy Mayilvaganam (UPFA), 261 pv; Laithas Yogarasa Lorance (UPFA), 210 pv; and Appukkuddy Anthonipillai (TNA), 88 pv.

Daniel Rechchiyan (UPFA) and Subramaniam Kobalasingam (UPFA) were appointed chairman and deputy chairman respectively.{{cite journal|url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2011/PDF/July/1716_32/G%2014853%20IV%20B%20(E)%20Election.pdf|date=30 July 2011|title=PART IV (B) — LOCAL GOVERNMENT Notices under the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance LOCAL AUTHORITIES ELECTIONS ORDINANCE (CHAPTER 262) Notice under Section 66(2)|journal=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|volume=1716/32|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330235520/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2011/PDF/July/1716_32/G%2014853%20IV%20B%20%28E%29%20Election.pdf|archivedate=30 March 2012}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Divisional Councils of Sri Lanka - Northern Province}}

Category:Delft DS Division

Category:Local authorities in Northern Province, Sri Lanka