Eastern Provincial Council

{{Infobox legislature

| name = Eastern Provincial Council

| native_name = கிழக்கு மாகாண சபை
නැගෙනහිර පළාත් සභාව

| native_name_lang = si

| transcription_name =

| legislature = 2nd Eastern Provincial Council

| coa_pic =

| coa_res =

| coa_alt =

| house_type = Unicameral

| body =

| houses =

| leader1_type = Chairman

| leader1 = Ariyawathi Galappaththy

| party1 = UPFA

| election1 = 1 October 2012

| leader2_type = Deputy Chairman

| leader2 = M. S. Subair

| party2 = UPFA

| election2 = 1 October 2012

| leader3_type = Chief Minister

| leader3 = A. N. Zainulabdeen

| party3 = SLMC

| election3 = 6 February 2015

| leader4_type = Leader of the Opposition

| leader4 = S. Thandayuthapani

| party4 = TNA

| election4 = 28 September 2012

| leader5_type = Chief Secretary

| leader5 = Thusitha P Wanigasinghe

| party5 =

| election5 = 16 December 2019

| members = 37

| structure1 = File:Eastern provincial council 2012.svg

| structure1_res = 200px

| structure1_alt =

| structure2 =

| structure2_res =

| structure2_alt =

| political_groups1 = Government (22)

{{Color box|#1609F7|border=darkgray}} UPFA (14)
{{Color box|#007B48|border=darkgray}} SLMC (7)
{{Color box|#FFD700|border=darkgray}} NFF (1)

Opposition (15)

{{Color box|#FFFF00|border=darkgray}} TNA (11)
{{Color box|#1CAE05|border=darkgray}} UNP (4)

| voting_system1 =

| last_election1 = 8 September 2012

| previous_election1 =

| session_room =

| session_res =

| session_alt =

| meeting_place = Provincial Council Assembly Hall, Assembly Secretariat, Trincomalee

| website = {{URL|http://www.ep.gov.lk/|ep.gov.lk}}

| footnotes =

}}

The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC {{langx|ta|கிழக்கு மாகாண சபை}} Kiḻakku Mākāṇa Capai; {{langx|si| නැගෙනහිර පළාත් සභාව}} “Nagenahira Palat Sabava”; 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.tamilnation.co/conflictresolution/tamileelam/87peaceaccord.htm|title=Indo Sri Lanka Agreement, 1987|publisher=TamilNation|access-date=2012-10-06|archive-date=2017-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204171815/http://www.tamilnation.co/conflictresolution/tamileelam/87peaceaccord.htm|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/ProvCouncils/ProvicialCouncils.html|title=Introduction|work=Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka|publisher=Government of Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707214924/http://www.priu.gov.lk/ProvCouncils/ProvicialCouncils.html|archive-date=2009-07-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/AMENDMENTS.html|title=Amendments to the 1978 Constitution|work=Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka|publisher=Government of Sri Lanka|access-date=2012-09-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817113810/http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/AMENDMENTS.html|archive-date=2009-08-17|url-status=dead}} On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order.{{cite news |url=http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/10/8947.html |title=North-East merger illegal: SC |date=17 October 2006 |publisher=LankaNewspapers.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524142033/http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/10/8947.html |archive-date=2009-05-24 }} The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces.{{cite web |url=http://www.ices.lk/sl_database/ethnic_conflict/time_line.shtml |title=Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999 |publisher=International Centre for Ethnic Studies9 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212123102/http://www.ices.lk/sl_database/ethnic_conflict/time_line.shtml |archive-date=2009-12-12 }} 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. 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. 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/features/20000912no_traitor.htm|title=I'm no traitor, says Perumal|last=Ferdinando|first=Shamindra|date=10 September 2000|publisher=Sunday Island (Sri Lanka)|access-date=22 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501173226/http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/features/20000912no_traitor.htm|archive-date=1 May 2009|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/11/14/stories/2003111411881500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040225085959/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/11/14/stories/2003111411881500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 February 2004|title=Sri Lanka's North-East to remain united for another year|last=V.S. Sambandan |date=14 November 2003|work=The Hindu|access-date=10 October 2009}} 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. On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null and void and had no legal effect. 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, {{small|UPFA (2008-)}}{{cite news|title=UNP, SLMC councilors boycott EPC first sitting|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25888|newspaper=TamilNet|date=5 June 2008}}
Ariyawathi Galappaththy, {{small|UPFA-SLFP (2012-present)}}{{cite web|title=Inaugural Meeting of Newly Elected Council|url=http://www.ep.gov.lk/DetailsEventnew.asp?lan=0&eid=370|publisher=Eastern Provincial Council|access-date=2012-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222117/http://www.ep.gov.lk/DetailsEventnew.asp?lan=0&eid=370|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=dead}}

Deputy Chairmen

M. K. D. S. Gunawardena, {{small|UPFA-SLFP (2008-)}}
M. S. Subair, {{small|UPFA-ACMC (2012-present)}}

Chief Ministers

S. Chandrakanthan, {{small|UPFA-TMVP (2008-12)}}{{cite news|title=Pillayan sworn in as CM for Eastern Province|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25662|newspaper=TamilNet|date=16 May 2008}}
M. N. Abdul Majeed, {{small|UPFA-SLFP (2012-2015)}}{{cite news|title=Majeed sworn in as Eastern CM|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/22010--majeed-sworn-in-as-eastern-cm.html|newspaper=Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|date=18 September 2012|access-date=22 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922085308/http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/22010--majeed-sworn-in-as-eastern-cm.html|archive-date=22 September 2012|url-status=dead}}
Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen, {{small|SLMC (2015-present)}}{{cite news|title=New EP Chief Minister takes oaths|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/63033/new-ep-governor-takes-oaths|newspaper=Daily Mirror|date=6 February 2015}}

Leaders of the Opposition

Basheer Segu Dawood, {{small|UNP-SLMC}}{{cite news|title=Hakim takes oath as UNP national list parliamentarian|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=26313|newspaper=TamilNet|date=10 July 2008}}
Daya Gamage, {{small|UNP}}{{cite news|title=Grave concern over the effects of urgent bill|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/111106/Columns/political.html|newspaper=Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)|date=6 November 2011}}
S. Thandayuthapani, {{small|TNA-ITAK (2012-present)}}{{cite news|title=Eastern Province Chief Minister assumes duties|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120930/news/eastern-province-chief-minister-assumes-duties-14666.html|newspaper=Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)|date=30 September 2012}}{{cite news|last=Satyapalan|first=Franklin R.|title=Inaugural session of Eastern PC tomorrow|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=62691|newspaper=Sunday Island (Sri Lanka)|date=30 September 2012}}

Chief Secretaries

R. Thiakalingam, {{small|(2007)}}{{cite news|last=Gurunathan|first=Sinniah|title=NPC Secretariat at Kanniya, EPC at Trincomalee|url=http://sundaytimes.lk/070204/News/123news.html|newspaper=Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)|date=4 February 2007}}
H. M. Herath Abeyweera, {{small|(2007)}}{{cite news|title=Sinhalese appointed East's Chief Secretary|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=21808|newspaper=TamilNet|date=6 April 2007}}
V. P. Balasingam, {{small|(2008-12)}}{{cite journal|url=http://documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2008/pdf/Mar/1543_3/G-%209579%20(E)%20I%20-%20I.pdf|date=31 March 2008|title=PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President|journal=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary|volume=1543/03}}
D. M. S. Abeygunawardena, {{small|(2012-2019)}}{{cite news|title=Colombo appoints Sinhala Chief Secretary, sidelines Tamils in EPC|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=35600|newspaper=TamilNet|date=25 September 2012}}{{cite web|title=New Chief Secretary Assumed Duty|url=http://www.ep.gov.lk/DetailsEventnew.asp?lan=0&eid=366|publisher=Eastern Provincial Council|access-date=2012-09-29|archive-date=2015-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610115810/http://www.ep.gov.lk/DetailsEventnew.asp?lan=0&eid=366|url-status=dead}}
Thusitha P Wanigasinghe , {{small|(2019-present)}}

Election results

=2008 provincial council election=

valign=bottom rowspan=2 colspan=2 width="300"\|Alliances and parties	colspan=3\|Ampara	colspan=3\|Batticaloa	colspan=3\|Trincomalee	valign=bottom rowspan=2 width="40"\|Bonus Seats	colspan=3\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" \|+ Results of the 1st Eastern provincial council election held on 10 May 2008{{cite web\|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/Provincial/2008/Eastern/proFinal.html\|title=Provincial Council Elections 2008 Final District Results: - Eastern Province\|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka\|access-date=2012-09-22\|archive-date=2012-12-20\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121220082826/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/Provincial/2008/Eastern/proFinal.html\|url-status=dead}}
align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats
bgcolor={{party color\|United People's Freedom Alliance}}\|	align=left\|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
bgcolor={{party color\|United National Party}}\|	align=left\|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
bgcolor={{party color\|Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna}}\|	align=left\|Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna	4,745	1.74%	0	379	0.21%	0	4,266	3.09%	1	0	9,390	1.59%	1
bgcolor={{party color\|Tamizh Democratic National Alliance}}\|	align=left\|Tamil Democratic National Alliance (EPRLF(P), PLOTE, TULF et al.)				7,714	4.25%	1				0	7,714	1.30%	1
bgcolor={{party color\|Eelam People's Democratic Party}}\|	align=left\|Eelam People's Democratic Party				5,418	2.99%	0				0	5,418	0.92%	0
bgcolor={{party color\|Independent (politician)}}\|	align=left\|Independent Groups	737	0.27%	0	823	0.45%	0	1,073	0.78%	0	0	2,633	0.45%	0
	align=left\|United Socialist Party	296	0.11%	0	943	0.52%	0	1,309	0.95%	0	0	2,548	0.43%	0
bgcolor={{party color\|Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students}}\|	align=left\|Eelavar Democratic Front (EROS)				1,816	1.00%	0	459	0.33%	0	0	2,275	0.38%	0
	align=left\|United National Alliance	597	0.22%	0							0	597	0.10%	0
	align=left\|People's Front of Liberation Tigers	63	0.02%	0	157	0.09%	0	163	0.12%	0	0	383	0.06%	0
	align=left\|All Lanka Tamil United Front							378	0.27%	0	0	378	0.06%	0
	align=left\|New Sinhala Heritage	312	0.11%	0							0	312	0.05%	0
	align=left\|National Development Front	100	0.04%	0				89	0.06%	0	0	189	0.03%	0
bgcolor={{party color\|Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya}}\|	align=left\|Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya	11	0.00%	0	85	0.05%	0	13	0.01%	0	0	109	0.02%	0
	align=left\|Muslim Liberation Front				39	0.02%	0				0	39	0.01%	0
	align=left\|Sri Lanka National Front				21	0.01%	0	9	0.01%	0	0	30	0.01%	0
	align=left\|Sri Lanka Progressive Front				17	0.01%	0	9	0.01%	0	0	26	0.00%	0
	align=left\|Ruhuna People's Party	9	0.00%	0				5	0.00%	0	0	14	0.00%	0
	align=left\|Liberal Party	3	0.00%	0							0	3	0.00%	0
colspan=2 align=left\|Valid Votes	272,392	100.00%	14	181,355	100.00%	11	137,929	100.00%	10	2	591,676	100.00%	37
colspan=2 align=left\|Rejected Votes	20,997			21,088			12,695				54,780
colspan=2 align=left\|Total Polled	293,389			202,443			150,624				646,456
colspan=2 align=left\|Registered Electors	409,308			330,950			242,463				982,721
colspan=2 align=left\|Turnout	71.68%			61.17%			62.12%				65.78%

=2012 provincial council election=

valign=bottom rowspan=2 colspan=2 width="300"\|Alliances and parties	colspan=3\|Ampara	colspan=3\|Batticaloa	colspan=3\|Trincomalee	valign=bottom rowspan=2 width="40"\|Bonus Seats	colspan=3\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" \|+ Results of the 2nd Eastern Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012{{cite web\|title=Provincial Council Elections 2012: Eastern Province\|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/2012PPC/eppc.htm\|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka\|access-date=2012-09-22\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621001141/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/2012PPC/eppc.htm\|archive-date=2013-06-21\|url-status=dead}}
align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|Votes	align=center valign=bottom width="50"\|%	align=center valign=bottom width="40"\|Seats
bgcolor={{party color\|United People's Freedom Alliance}}\|	align=left\|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
bgcolor={{party color\|Tamil National Alliance}}\|	align=left\|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
bgcolor={{party color\|Sri Lanka Muslim Congress}}\|	align=left\|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
bgcolor={{party color\|United National Party}}\|	align=left\|United National Party	48,028	17.47%	3	2,434	1.18%	0	24,439	16.01%	1	0	74,901	11.82%	4
bgcolor={{party color\|Independent (politician)}}\|	align=left\|Independent Groups	1,178	0.43%	0	9,019	4.38%	0	2,164	1.42%	0	0	12,361	1.95%	0
	align=left\|National Freedom Front							9,522	6.24%	1	0	9,522	1.50%	1
bgcolor={{party color\|Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna}}\|	align=left\|Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna	2,305	0.84%	0	72	0.03%	0	777	0.51%	0	0	3,154	0.50%	0
bgcolor={{party color\|Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students}}\|	align=left\|Eelavar Democratic Front (EROS)	531	0.19%	0	1,777	0.86%	0	385	0.25%	0	0	2,693	0.43%	0
	align=left\|Socialist Alliance (CPSL, DLF, LSSP)	1,489	0.54%	0	379	0.18%	0	612	0.40%	0	0	2,480	0.39%	0
	align=left\|All Lanka Tamil United Front	76	0.03%	0				384	0.25%	0	0	460	0.07%	0
	align=left\|United Socialist Party	103	0.04%	0	37	0.02%	0	149	0.10%	0	0	289	0.05%	0
	align=left\|Sri Lanka Labour Party	111	0.04%	0	50	0.02%	0	107	0.07%	0	0	268	0.04%	0
	align=left\|Our National Front				163	0.08%	0				0	163	0.03%	0
	align=left\|United Lanka Great Council	10	0.00%	0	15	0.01%	0	97	0.06%	0	0	122	0.02%	0
	align=left\|United Lanka People's Party	74	0.03%	0	16	0.01%	0				0	90	0.01%	0
	align=left\|Jana Setha Peramuna	31	0.01%	0	19	0.01%	0	35	0.02%	0	0	85	0.01%	0
	align=left\|Patriotic National Front	7	0.00%	0				78	0.05%	0	0	85	0.01%	0
	align=left\|Muslim Liberation Front	42	0.02%	0				15	0.01%	0	0	57	0.01%	0
	align=left\|Ruhuna People's Party	13	0.00%	0				3	0.00%	0	0	16	0.00%	0
colspan=2 align=left\|Valid Votes \| 274,935	100.00%	14	205,936	100.00%	11	152,663	100.00%	10	2	633,534	100.00%	37
colspan=2 align=left\| Rejected Votes \| 16,744			17,223			11,324				45,291
colspan=2 align=left\| Total Polled \| 291,679			223,159			163,987				678,825
colspan=2 align=left\| Registered Electors \| 441,287			347,099			245,363				1,033,749
colspan=2 align=left\| Turnout \| 66.10%			64.29%			66.83%				65.67%