Government of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Government of the Northern Province refers to the

Governor
and Board of Ministers.

History

In an attempt to end 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

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.

elections
were held.

Legislature

Main article: Northern Provincial Council

Under the

provincial councils such as the Northern Provincial Council may enact statutes in respect of matters on List I of the Ninth Schedule ("the Provincial Council List").[8] Matters on this list include agriculture, education, health, housing, local government, planning, road transport and social services.[9] Police and land are also on this list but successive central governments have refused to devolve these powers to the provinces. Provincial councils may also enact statutes in respect of matters on List III of the Ninth Schedule ("the Concurrent List") after consulting the national Parliament.[8] Matters on this list include archaeological sites, employment, environmental protection, fisheries, higher education, price control and tourism.[9]

The Northern Provincial Council has 38 members elected using the

Sri Lankan Tamils, won 30 of the 38 seats.[10] The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which was in power nationally, became the second largest group after winning 7 seats.[10] The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won the remaining seat.[10]

Alliance Votes % Seats
  Tamil National Alliance 353,595 78.48% 30
  United People's Freedom Alliance 82,838 18.38% 7
  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 6,761 1.50% 1
Others 7,380 1.64% 0
Total 450,574 100.00% 38

The maximum term of the provincial council is 5 years from the date of its first meeting.[11]

Executive

Governor who exercises these powers through a Board of Ministers.[12]

Governor

See also:
List of Governors of Northern Province

The Governor is appointed by the

Chief Minister and, on the advice of the Chief Minister, the remaining members of the Board of Ministers from amongst the members of the provincial council.[14]

The current Governor of the Northern Province G. A. Chandrasiri was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and took office on 12 July 2009.[15][16] Major General Chandrasiri had previously been commander of Jaffna Security Forces, the regional army command for the Jaffna Peninsula.[17][18] This has led to Chandrasiri being labelled a "military governor".[19][20][21] Chandrasiri's military background and his open support for the United People's Freedom Alliance have resulted in the Tamil National Alliance and the United National Party calling for him to be replaced by a "civilian governor".[22][23]

Board of Ministers

See also:
List of Chief Ministers of Northern Province

The Board of Ministers consists of the Chief Minister and up to four other ministers.[14] The job of the Board of Ministers is to aid and advise governor in the exercise of his functions.[14] The Northern Province did not have a Board of Ministers until after the provincial council election in 2013.

The current Board of Ministers consists of the Chief Minister and four ministers who took office in October 2013. The current Chief Minister C. V. Vigneswaran was appointed by Governor Chandrasiri on 1 October 2013.[24][25][26] Vigneswaran took his chief ministerial oath in front of President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on 7 October 2013.[27][28][29] The four other ministers took their oaths in front of Vigneswaran at Veerasingam Hall on 11 October 2013.[30][31] Vigneswaran took his ministerial oath in front of President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on 17 October 2013.[32][33]

Party Minister Office Ministry In office since Secretary Website
1
ITAK
 C. V. Vigneswaran
Chief Minister
 7 October 2013
Minister of Finance and Planning, Law and Order, Lands, Electricity, Housing and Construction, Tourism, Local Government, Provincial Administration, Rural Development, Road Development, Motor Traffic and Transport Finance and Planning, Law and Order, Lands, Electricity, Housing and Construction, Tourism, Local Government, Provincial Administration, Rural Development, Road Development, Motor Traffic and Transport 23 August 2017 R. Varathalingam
2 TELO G. Gunaseelan Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine and Probation and Childcare Services Health and Indigenous Medicine and Probation and Childcare Services 23 August 2017 S. Thiruvakaran
3 EPRLF K. Sarveswaran Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Affairs and Cultural Affairs 29 June 2017 R. Raveenthiran
4
ITAK
 Ananthi Sasitharan Minister of Women Affairs, Rehabilitation, Social Service, Co-operatives, Food Supply and Distribution, Industries and Enterprise Promotion and Trade and Commerce Women Affairs, Rehabilitation, Social Service, Co-operatives, Food Supply and Distribution, Industries and Enterprise Promotion and Trade and Commerce 23 August 2017 R. Varatheeswaran
5 PLOTE
K. Sivanesan
 Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Services, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Fisheries, Water Supply and Environment Agriculture and Agrarian Services, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Fisheries, Water Supply and Environment 23 August 2017 S. Sathiyaseelan healthnp.org

References

  1. ^ a b "Indo Sri Lanka Agreement, 1987". TamilNation.
  2. ^ "Introduction". Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2009-07-07.
  3. ^ "Amendments to the 1978 Constitution". Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  4. ^ a b c d "North-East merger illegal: SC". LankaNewspapers.com. 17 October 2006. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009.
  5. ^ "Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999". International Centre for Ethnic Studies9. Archived from the original on 2009-12-12.
  6. Sunday Island (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original
    on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  7. ^ V.S. Sambandan (14 November 2003). "Sri Lanka's North-East to remain united for another year". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 February 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  8. ^ a b "THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - Article 154G". LawNet.
  9. ^ a b "Ninth Schedule". Government of Sri Lanka.
  10. ^ a b c "Provincial Council Elections 2013 : Northern Province". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22.
  11. ^ "THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - Article 154E". LawNet.
  12. ^ "THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - Article 154C". LawNet.
  13. ^ a b "THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - Article 154B". LawNet. Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  14. ^ a b c "THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - Article 154F". LawNet.
  15. The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1612/15. 29 July 2009.[permanent dead link
    ]
  16. ^ "New military posts created". BBC Sinhala. 12 July 2009.
  17. ^ "Notorious commander appointed Governor of Northern Province". TamilNet. 12 July 2009.
  18. ^ Perera, Tissa Ravindra (19 July 2009). "Refurbishing the Armed Forces". The Nation (Sri Lanka).
  19. ^ "SL military governor builds expensive bungalow, diverts aid to Sinhala colonists". TamilNet. 28 December 2011.
  20. ^ Jabbar, Zacki (22 June 2013). "TNA wants Military Governor replaced prior to Northern PC Election". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  21. ^ Bastians, Dharisha (1 October 2013). "Cohabitation begins with Wiggie-Chandrasiri pow-wow". Daily FT.
  22. ^ Kamalendran, Chris (29 September 2013). "News TNA wants President in Jaffna for CM oaths". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  23. ^ Ferdinando, Shamindra (28 September 2013). "NP Governor invites TNA to finalise CM appointment". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  24. ^ "New Chief Minister appointed to Northern Provincial Council – 01 October 2013". Northern Provincial Council. 1 October 2013.
  25. The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1831/01. 7 October 2013. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2 November 2013.
  26. ^ "C.V. Vigneswaran receives appointment letter". Ceylon Today. 1 October 2013. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Wigneswaran takes oath as Northern Province CM". The Hindu/Indo-Asian News Service. 9 October 2013.
  28. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 7 October 2013. Archived from the original
    on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  29. ^ "Sri Lanka poll: Tamil minister Wigneswaran says 'peace possible'". BBC News. 7 October 2013.
  30. ^ "NPC members take oath in Jaffna after honouring fallen Tamil Heroes". TamilNet. 11 October 2013.
  31. ^ "Northern Provincial Council TNA members take oaths". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 11 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.
  32. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
    .
  33. ^ "Wigneswaran sworn-in by President again, as Provincial Minister". Daily FT. 18 October 2013.
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