# Eastern Provincial Council

The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாண சபை Kiḻakku Mākāṇa Capai; Sinhala: 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. 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. On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order. The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces. 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. 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. 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, UPFA (2008-)
* Ariyawathi Galappaththy, UPFA-SLFP (2012-present)
Deputy Chairmen
* M. K. D. S. Gunawardena, UPFA-SLFP (2008-)
* M. S. Subair, UPFA-ACMC (2012-present)
Chief Ministers
* S. Chandrakanthan, UPFA-TMVP (2008-12)
* M. N. Abdul Majeed, UPFA-SLFP (2012-2015)
* Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen, SLMC (2015-present)
Leaders of the Opposition
* Basheer Segu Dawood, UNP-SLMC
* Daya Gamage, UNP
* S. Thandayuthapani, TNA-ITAK (2012-present)
Chief Secretaries
* R. Thiakalingam, (2007)
* H. M. Herath Abeyweera, (2007)
* V. P. Balasingam, (2008-12)
* D. M. S. Abeygunawardena, (2012-2019)
* Thusitha P Wanigasinghe , (2019-present)

## Election results
### 2008 provincial council election

Results of the 1st Eastern provincial council election held on 10 May 2008 :
| Alliances and parties | Alliances and parties | Ampara | Ampara | Ampara | Batticaloa | Batticaloa | Batticaloa | Trincomalee | Trincomalee | Trincomalee | Bonus Seats | Total | Total | Total |
| Alliances and parties | Alliances and parties | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Bonus 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 | 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 | Rejected Votes | 20,997 | | | 21,088 | | | 12,695 | | | | 54,780 | | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | 293,389 | | | 202,443 | | | 150,624 | | | | 646,456 | | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 409,308 | | | 330,950 | | | 242,463 | | | | 982,721 | | |
| Turnout | 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 :
| Alliances and parties | Alliances and parties | Ampara | Ampara | Ampara | Batticaloa | Batticaloa | Batticaloa | Trincomalee | Trincomalee | Trincomalee | Bonus Seats | Total | Total | Total |
| Alliances and parties | Alliances and parties | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Bonus 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 | 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 | Rejected Votes | 16,744 | | | 17,223 | | | 11,324 | | | | 45,291 | | |
| Total Polled | Total Polled | 291,679 | | | 223,159 | | | 163,987 | | | | 678,825 | | |
| Registered Electors | Registered Electors | 441,287 | | | 347,099 | | | 245,363 | | | | 1,033,749 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | 66.10% | | | 64.29% | | | 66.83% | | | | 65.67% | | |