2nd Eastern Provincial Council explained

2nd Eastern Provincial Council
Membership1:37
Chamber1 Leader1 Type:Chairman
Chamber1 Leader1:Ariyawathi Galappaththy, UPFA (2012-)
Chamber1 Leader2 Type:Deputy Chairman
Chamber1 Leader2:M. S. Subair, UPFA (2012-)
Chamber1 Leader3:M. N. Abdul Majeed, UPFA (2012-)

The 2nd Eastern Provincial Council is the current Eastern Provincial Council, with the membership determined by the results of the 2012 provincial council election held on 8 September 2012. The council met for the first time on 1 October 2012. According to the Constitution of Sri Lanka the maximum term of a provincial council is 5 years from the date of its first meeting.

Election

See main article: 2012 Sri Lankan provincial council election. The 2nd Eastern Provincial Council election was held on 8 September 2012. The incumbent United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) lost overall control of the council after winning only 14 of the 37 seats. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which had boycotted the previous election, became the second largest group after winning 11 seats. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and United National Party won 7 and 4 seats respectively. The National Freedom Front won the remaining seat.

Results

Alliance Votes % Seats
bgcolor=  200,044 31.58% 14
bgcolor=  193,827 30.59% 11
bgcolor=  132,917 20.98% 7
bgcolor=  74,901 11.82% 4
9,522 1.50% 1
Others 22,323 3.52% 0
Total 633,534 100.00% 37

The new provincial council met for the first time on 1 October 2012.[1] Ariyawathi Galappaththy (UPFA-SLFP) and M. S. Subair (UPFA-ACMC) were elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively.[2]

Government/Board of Ministers

The UPFA was able to form an administration with the support of the SLMC.[3] Under the agreement between the UPFA and SLMC a UPFA nominee would serve as Chief Minister for two and half years after a which a SLMC nominee would become Chief Minister.[4] [5] M. N. Abdul Majeed of the UPFA was appointed Chief Minister by Governor Mohan Wijewickrama.[6] Majeed was sworn in on 18 September 2012 in Colombo in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.[7] The four government ministers appointed by the Governor with effect from 24 September 2012 were: Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamed Mansoor (SLMC); Meera Sahibu Udumalebbe (UPFA-NC); Dissanayaka Wimalaweera (UPFA-SLFP); and Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen (SLMC).[8] As a result the Sri Lankan Tamils had no representation in the Board of Ministers (the government) despite being the largest ethnic group in the province.[9] [10]

Changes in party/alliance affiliations

A few days after the election there were reports that some TNA councillors were being threatened and coerced into joining the UPFA.[11] [12] It was reported that members of the military intelligence were involved in the threats.[13] G. Krishnapillai, M. Nadarajah, Kumaraswamy Nageswaran, N. Indirakumar and Murugesu Rajeswaran were offered land, money, houses, vehicles and government construction contracts, and threatened with relatives being arrested.[14] None of the TNA councillors gave into the threats and the TNA lodged a complaint with the Election Commissioner.[15]

Members

Name
Electoral
District

Preference
Votes

Member
From
Member
To
Elected
Party

Elected
Alliance

Current
Party

Current
Alliance

Notes
21,271 1 October 2012 ACMC bgcolor=ACMC bgcolor=
Chandradasa, A. P. G. 20,459 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
22,338 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Fernando, A. W. B. N. M. 14,887 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
Galappaththy, Ariyawathi W. G. M. 14,224 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=Chairman (12-).
41,064 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
17,304 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Jameel, A. Ahamed Mohamed 22,357 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Janarthanan, Jegatheesan 8,949 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Jayasena, Thennakoon Mudiyanselage BON 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
12,122 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
16,536 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
20,200 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Kumara, K. P. P. P. 12,393 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
Lebbe, A. Ameer Mahumud 19,671 1 October 2012 NC bgcolor=NC bgcolor=
Maharoof, Imran 10,048 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
11,726 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=Chief Minister (12-). Minister of Finance and Planning, Law and Order, Local Government, Regional Administration, Man Power, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Rural Development and Environment (12-).
Mansoor, I. M. M. 21,759 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Social Welfare, Probation and Childcare Services, Women's Affairs, Youth Affairs, Sports, Information Technology Education, Co-operative Development, Food Supply and Distribution (12-).
Mohamed, A. R. 10,904 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Moulana, Seyed Ali ZahirBAT13,7646 February 2015bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=SLFPUPFA
Moulavi, S. L. M. H. 10,732 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
16,681 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Nageswaran, Kumaraswamy 10,911 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Navarathnaraja, Thuraiyappa BON 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Nazeer, Ahamed Lebbe Mohamed 18,327 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Rajeswaran, Murugesu 10,812 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
Samsudeen, Ariff 19,680 1 October 2012 NC bgcolor=NC bgcolor=
Shibly, Abdul Farook Mohamed 20,407 1 October 2012 ACMC bgcolor=ACMC bgcolor=
Subair, Muhamed Sharief 17,903 1 October 2012 ACMC bgcolor=ACMC bgcolor=Deputy Chairman (12-).
20,854 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=Leader of the Opposition (12-).
Thavam, Aadam Lebbe 32,330 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
27,717 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
29,141 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=
Udumalebbe, Meera Sahibu 24,033 1 October 2012 NC bgcolor=NC bgcolor=Minister of Road Development, Irrigation, Housing and Construction, Rural Electrification and Water Supply (12-).
Weerasingha, D. 20,922 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=
Wijesekara, N. G. W. M. J. 7,303 1 October 2012 bgcolor=
Wimalaweera, Dissanayaka 31,815 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=bgcolor=Minister of Education, Cultural Affairs, Lands and Land Development and Transport (12-).
11,401 1 October 2012 bgcolor=bgcolor=Minister of Agriculture, Animal Production and Development, Rural Industries Development, Fisheries and Tourism (12-).

References

Notes and References

  1. PART IV (A) - PROVINCIAL COUNCILS Proclamations & c., by the Governors EASTERN PROVINCE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL Notice. 26 September 2012. The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1777/24.
  2. Web site: Inaugural Meeting of Newly Elected Council. Eastern Provincial Council. 2012-10-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222117/http://www.ep.gov.lk/DetailsEventnew.asp?lan=0&eid=370. 2016-03-03. dead.
  3. News: Ferdinando. Shamindra. President bags East with Hakeem’s help. The Island (Sri Lanka). 18 September 2012. 22 September 2012. 17 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140917113609/http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=61840. dead.
  4. News: Bandara. Kelum. PC polls: SLMC to share Chief Minister Post in East. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 20 September 2012. 22 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121027153012/http://dailymirror.lk/opinion/172-opinion/22063-pc-polls-slmc-to-share-chief-minister-post-in-east.html. 27 October 2012. dead.
  5. News: Jeyaraj. D. B. S.. NAJEEB ABDUL MAJEED MAKES HISTORY AS THE FIRST MUSLIM CM OF SRI LANKA. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 22 September 2012. 22 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160921025409/http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/dbsjeyaraj-column/22121-najeeb-abdul-majeed-makes-history-as-the-first-muslim-cm-of-sri-lanka.html. 21 September 2016. dead.
  6. PART IV (A) - PROVINCIAL COUNCILS Proclamations & c., by the Governors APPOINTMENT OF EASTERN PROVINCE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL . 24 September 2012 . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 1777/10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150207095453/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2012/PDF/Sep/1777_10/1777_10%20%28E%29.pdf . 7 February 2015 .
  7. News: Majeed sworn in as Eastern CM. Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 18 September 2012. 22 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120922085308/http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/22010--majeed-sworn-in-as-eastern-cm.html. 22 September 2012. dead.
  8. PART IV (A) - PROVINCIAL COUNCILS Proclamations & c., by the Governors EASTERN PROVINCE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL Appointments made by the Governor of the Eastern Province. 28 September 2012. The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1777/36.
  9. News: Colombo appoints Sinhala Chief Secretary, sidelines Tamils in EPC. TamilNet. 25 September 2012.
  10. News: Balachandran. P. K.. No Tamil minister in Eastern Province. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121300/http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/article1240970.ece. dead. March 4, 2016. The New Indian Express. 26 September 2012.
  11. News: UPFA operatives threaten TNA councilors to join UPFA in East. TamilNet. 13 September 2012.
  12. News: UPFA attempting to buy TNA members in East. Ceylon Today. 13 September 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000100/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-12694-news-detail-upfa-attempting-to-buy-tna-members-in-east.html. 4 March 2016.
  13. News: Noble. Kath. Next stop, Jaffna. The Island (Sri Lanka). 18 September 2012.
  14. Web site: Jeyaraj. D. B. S.. Military Intelligence Operatives ‘Pressure’ TNA Eastern Councillors Into Supporting UPFA Administration. dbsjeyaraj.com. 14 September 2012. 22 September 2012. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223650/http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/10599. dead.
  15. News: Bandara. Kelum. Post-election Tug of war..... Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 13 September 2012.