The 1st Eastern Provincial Council was a meeting of the Eastern Provincial Council, with the membership determined by the results of the 2008 provincial council election held on 10 May 2008. The council met for the first time on 4 June 2008 and was dissolved prematurely on 27 June 2012.
Election
The 1st Eastern Provincial Council election was held on 10 May 2008. The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which was in power nationally, formed an alliance the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) paramilitary group and won 20 of the 37 seats. The United National Party (UNP) formed an alliance the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and won 15 seats. Smaller parties won the remaining 2 seats. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest party representing the Sri Lankan Tamils boycotted the election.
Results Alliance Votes % Seats United People's Freedom Alliance/Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal 308,886 52.21% 20 United National Party/Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 250,732 42.38% 15 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 9,390 1.59% 1 Tamil Democratic National Alliance 7,714 1.30% 1 Others 14,954 2.53% 0Total 591,676 100.00% 37
The new provincial council met for the first time on 4 June 2008. Ajju Mohamed Mohamed Faiz and M. K. D. S. Gunawardena were elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively.
Government/Board of Ministers S. Chandrakanthan, leader of the paramilitary Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, was appointed Chief Minister by Governor Mohan Wijewickrama. Chandrakanthan was sworn in on 16 May 2008 in Colombo in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The four government ministers appointed by the Governor with effect from 16 May 2008 were: M. L. Alim Mohammad Hisbullah (UPFA-ACMC); Thuraiyappa Navarathnaraja (UPFA-TMVP); Meera Sahibu Udumalebbe (UPFA-NC); and Dissanayaka Wimalaweera (UPFA-SLFP).
Minister M. L. Alim Mohammad Hisbullah (UPFA-ACMC) lost his seat on the council after being elected to Parliament. His ministerial replacement Muhamed Sharief Subair (UPFA-ACMC) was sworn in on 17 May 2010 in Trincomalee in front of the Governor.
According to article 154E of the Constitution of Sri Lanka the normal life of a provincial council is five years from the date of its first meeting. But using powers granted to him by article 154B(8)c Governor Mohan Wijewickrama dissolved the council prematurely on 27 June 2012, nearly a year ahead of schedule.
Deaths and resignations The 1st Eastern Provincial Council saw the following deaths and resignations: 8 July 2008: Rauff Hakeem (UNP-TRI) resigned to take a National List seat in the Parliament. His replacement was A. U. Razik Fareed. July 2008: Hasen Ali (UNP-AMP) resigned to take a National List seat in the Parliament. His replacement was Masoor Sinnalebbe. April 2010: M. S. Thowfeek (UNP-TRI) lost his seat after being elected to Parliament. His replacement was A. R. Mohamed. April 2010: M. L. Alim Mohammad Hisbullah (UPFA-BAT) lost his seat after being elected to Parliament. His replacement was K. L. M. Fareed. April 2010: M. K. D. S. Gunawardena (UPFA-TRI) lost his seat after being elected to Parliament. His replacement was N. G. Hewawitharana. April 2010: Basheer Segu Dawood (UNP-BAT) lost his seat after being elected to Parliament. His replacement was M. H. Sehu Ismail. 15 April 2011: T. A. K. Thewarapperuma (UPFA-AMP) died. His replacement was D. R. S. Premarathna.
Members Name ElectoralDistrict PreferenceVotes MemberFrom MemberTo ElectedParty ElectedAlliance FinalParty FinalAlliance NotesAli, Hasan AMP 4 June 2008 July 2008 SLMC UNP SLMC UNP Resigned. Replaced by Masoor Sinnalebbe.Chandradasa, A. P. G. AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Chandrakanthan, S. BAT 41,936 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 TMVP UPFA TMVP UPFA Chief Minister (08-12). Minister for Finance and Planning, Law and Order, Local Government, Regional Administration, Man Power, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Rural Development, Tourism and Environment (08-).Dawood, Basheer Segu BAT 4 June 2008 April 2010 SLMC UNP SLMC UNP Lost his seat. Replaced by M. H. Sehu Ismail.Faiz, Ajju Mohamed Mohamed TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Chairman (08-).Fareed, A. U. Razik TRI August 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Replaces Rauff Hakeem.Fareed, K. L. M. BAT May 2010 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Replaces M. L. Alim Mohammad Hisbullah.Galappaththy, Ariyawathi W. G. M. TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 SLFP UPFA SLFP UPFA Gamage, Daya AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Gunawardena, M. K. D. S. TRI 4 June 2008 April 2010 SLFP UPFA SLFP UPFA Deputy Chairman (08-). Lost his seat. Replaced by N. G. Hewawitharana.Hakeem, Rauff TRI 4 June 2008 8 July 2008 SLMC UNP SLMC UNP Resigned. Replaced by A. U. Razik Fareed.Hewawitharana, N. G. TRI May 2010 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Replaces M. K. D. S. Gunawardena.Hisbullah, M. L. Alim Mohammad BAT 35,949 4 June 2008 April 2010 ACMC UPFA ACMC UPFA Minister for 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 (08-10). Lost his seat. Replaced by K. L. M. Fareed.Ismail, M. H. Sehu BAT May 2010 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Replaces Basheer Segu Dawood.Jameel, Ahamed Mohomad AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Krishnanandaharajah, Edwin Silva BAT 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 TMVP UPFA TMVP UPFA Lebbe, A. Ameer Mahumud AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 NC UPFA NC UPFA Majeed, Abdul AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Marikkar, Apthurrazaak Kulanthai AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Masilamany, Thambimuththu Alosiyas BAT 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Mohamed, A. A. A. M. M. TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Mohamed, A. R. TRI May 2010 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Replaces M. S. Thowfeek.Monakurusamy, R. BON 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Moulavi, S. L. M. H. TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Navarathnaraja, Thuraiyappa AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 TMVP UPFA SLFP UPFA Minister for Agriculture, Animal Production and Development, Rural Industries Development and Fisheries (08-).Nayim, Meera Labbe Thulkar AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 NC UPFA NC UPFA Parasuraman, Arunasalam TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Piyathissa, K. G. Wimal TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 JVP JVP Premakumara, K. P. P. BON 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Premarathna, D. R. S. AMP May 2011 27 June 2012 UPFA UPFA Replaces T. A. K. Thewarapperuma.Pushparaja, Somasundaram AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 TMVP UPFA TMVP UPFA Salih, Aliyar Salih Javahir BAT 36,419 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 ACMC UPFA ACMC UPFA Sasitharan, Arasaretnam BAT 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Selvaraja, Seeniththamby AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 TMVP UPFA TMVP UPFA Sinnalebbe, Masoor AMP September 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Replaces Hasen Ali.Subair, Muhamed Sharief BAT 35,615 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 ACMC UPFA ACMC UPFA Minister of Health & Indigenous Medicine, Social Welfare, Probation and Childcare Services, Women's Affairs, Youth Affairs, Sports, Information Technology Education, Co-operative Development, Food Supply and Distribution (10-).Thewarapperuma, T. A. K. AMP 4 June 2008 15 April 2011 SLFP UPFA SLFP UPFA Died. Replaced by D. R. S. Premarathna.Thiraviyam, Nagalingam BAT 23,729 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 TMVP UPFA TMVP UPFA Thowfeek, M. S. TRI 4 June 2008 April 2010 SLMC UNP SLMC UNP Lost his seat. Replaced by A. R. Mohamed.Thurairatnam, R. BAT 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 EPRLF TDNA EPRLF TNA Udumalebbe, Meera Sahibu AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 NC UPFA NC UPFA Minister for Road Development, Irrigation, Housing and Construction, Rural Electrification and Water Supply (08-).Varathan, R. S. N. TRI 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Vellathamby, Ameertheen BAT 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 UNP UNP Wimalaweera, Dissanayaka AMP 4 June 2008 27 June 2012 SLFP UPFA SLFP UPFA Minister for Education, Cultural Affairs, Lands and Land Development and Transport (08-).
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