{{Short description|Provincial council for Northern Province, Sri Lanka}} {{Infobox legislature | name = Northern Provincial Council | native_name = வட மாகாண சபை<br />උතුරු පළාත් සභා | native_name_lang = ta | transcription_name = | legislature = 1st Northern Provincial Council | coa_pic = Northern Province Sri Lanka emblem.jpg | coa_res = | coa_alt = | house_type = Unicameral | body = | houses = | leader1_type = Chairman | leader1 = C. V. K. Sivagnanam | party1 = TNA | election1 = 25 October 2013 | leader2_type = Deputy Chairman | leader2 = Anton Jeyanathan | party2 = TNA | election2 = 25 October 2013 | leader3_type = Chief Minister | leader3 = C. V. Vigneswaran | party3 = TNA | election3 = 7 October 2013 | leader4_type = Leader of the Opposition | leader4 = K. Kamalendran | party4 = UPFA | election4 = 25 October 2013 | leader5_type = Chief Secretary | leader5 = R. Wijialudchumi | party5 = | election5 = 5 December 2011 | members = 38 | structure1 = File:Sri Lanka Northern Province Provincial election 2013.svg | structure1_res = 200px | structure1_alt = | structure2 = | structure2_res = | structure2_alt = | political_groups1 = '''Government (30)''' * {{Color box|#FFFF00|border=darkgray}} TNA (30) '''Opposition (8)''' * {{Color box|#1609F7|border=darkgray}} UPFA (7) * {{Color box|#007B48|border=darkgray}} SLMC (1) | voting_system1 = | last_election1 = 21 September 2013 | previous_election1 = | session_room = | session_res = | session_alt = | meeting_place = Provincial Council Assembly Hall, Northern Provincial Council Building, Kaithady | website = {{URL|http://www.np.gov.lk/|np.gov.lk}} | footnotes = }} '''Northern Provincial Council''' ({{langx|ta|வட மாகாண சபை}} ''Vaṭa Mākāṇa Capai''; NPC) is the provincial council for the Northern Province in Sri Lanka. In accordance with the Sri Lankan constitution, NPC 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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Colombage|first1=Dinouk|title=Sri Lanka says no to devolution of powers|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2014/06/sri-lanka-says-no-devolution-powers-201465113226225987.html|work=Al Jazeera|date=5 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sirilal|first1=Ranga|last2=Aneez|first2=Shihar|title=Sri Lanka again rejects devolving police powers to ease tension with Tamils|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-india-idUSKBN0EF18X20140604|work=Reuters|date=4 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Senadhira|first1=Sugeeswara|title=Sri Lanka and the 13th Amendment: What is '13 Plus'?|url=http://www.ipcs.org/article/south-asia/ipcs-debate-sri-lanka-and-the-13th-amendment-what-is-4034.html|publisher=Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies|date=11 July 2013}}</ref> NPC has 38 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.<ref name=tn>{{cite web|url=http://www.tamilnation.co/conflictresolution/tamileelam/87peaceaccord.htm|title=Indo Sri Lanka Agreement, 1987|publisher=TamilNation}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817113810/http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/AMENDMENTS.html|archive-date=2009-08-17}}</ref> On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order.<ref name=lnp>{{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}}</ref> The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name=tn/> 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.<ref name=lnp/> 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.<ref>{{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=6 October 2013|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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name=lnp/> On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null and void and had no legal effect.<ref name=lnp/> The North Eastern Province was formally de-merged into the Eastern and Northern provinces on 1 January 2007. The Northern province was ruled directly from Colombo until 21 September 2013 when elections were held.

==Chairmen, deputy chairmen, chief ministers, leaders of the opposition and chief secretaries== {{columns-start|num=5}} '''Chairmen''' * C. V. K. Sivagnanam, {{small|TNA-ITAK (2013-present)}} {{column}} '''Deputy Chairmen''' * Anton Jeyanathan, {{small|TNA-ITAK (2013-present)}} {{column}} '''Chief Ministers''' * C. V. Vigneswaran, {{small|TNA-ITAK (2013-present)}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Wigneswaran takes oath as Northern Province CM|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/cm-wigneswaran-takes-oath-in-sri-lankas-northern-province/article5209907.ece|newspaper=The Hindu/Indo-Asian News Service|date=9 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Wigneswaran sworn-in as NPC CM|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/36694-wigneswaran-sworn-in-as-ncp-cm.html|newspaper=The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|date=7 October 2013|access-date=13 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010190355/http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/36694-wigneswaran-sworn-in-as-ncp-cm.html|archive-date=10 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Lanka poll: Tamil minister Wigneswaran says 'peace possible'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24179990|newspaper=BBC News|date=7 October 2013}}</ref> {{column}} '''Leaders of the Opposition''' * K. Kamalendran, {{small|UPFA-EPDP (2013-present)}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Bastians|first=Dharisha|title=Noble start in north!|url=http://www.ft.lk/2013/10/26/noble-start-in-north/|newspaper=Daily FT|date=26 October 2013|access-date=27 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828233830/http://www.ft.lk/2013/10/26/noble-start-in-north/|archive-date=28 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{column}} '''Chief Secretaries''' * S. Rangarajah, {{small|(2007-09)}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Secs. for two provinces|url=http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2007/01/11/front/7.asp|newspaper=The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|date=11 January 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Separate flags for North and East Provincial Councils|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=22256|newspaper=TamilNet|date=24 May 2007}}</ref> * A. Sivaswamy, {{small|(2009-11)}}<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2009/PDF/Jun/1607_7/G-%20011306%20%28E%29.pdf|date=23 June 2009|title=PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President|journal=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary|volume=1607/07}}</ref> * R. Wijialudchumi, {{small|(2011-present)}}<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2011/PDF/Dec/1736_40/1736_40%20%28E%29.pdf|date=16 December 2011|title=PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President|journal=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary|volume=1736/40}}</ref> {{columns-end}}

==Election results==

===2013 provincial council election=== {{See also|1st Northern Provincial Council}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" |+ Results of the 1st Northern Provincial Council election held on 21 September 2013<ref>{{cite web|title=Provincial Council Elections 2013 : Northern Province|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/2013PPC/nppc.html|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka}}</ref> |- ! valign=bottom rowspan=2 colspan=2 width="200"|Alliances and parties !! colspan=3|Jaffna !! colspan=3|Kilinochchi !! colspan=3|Mannar !! colspan=3|Mullaitivu !! colspan=3|Vavuniya !! valign=bottom rowspan=2 width="40"|Bonus<br />Seats !! colspan=3|Total |- ! 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 !! 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|Tamil National Alliance}}|&nbsp; || align=left|Tamil National Alliance || 213,907 || 84.37% || 14 || 37,079 || 81.57% || 3 || 33,118 || 62.22% || 3 || 28,266 || 78.56% || 4 || 41,225 || 66.10% || 4 || 2 || '''353,595''' || '''78.48%''' || '''30''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|United People's Freedom Alliance}}|&nbsp; || align=left|United People's Freedom Alliance || 35,995 || 14.20% || 2 || 7,897 || 17.37% || 1 || 15,104 || 28.38% || 1 || 7,209 || 20.04% || 1 || 16,633 || 26.67% || 2 || 0 || '''82,838''' || '''18.38%''' || '''7''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|Sri Lanka Muslim Congress}}|&nbsp; || align=left|Sri Lanka Muslim Congress || || || || || || || 4,571 || 8.59% || 1 || 199 || 0.55% || 0 || 1,991 || 3.19% || 0 || 0 || '''6,761''' || '''1.50%''' || '''1''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|United National Party}}|&nbsp; || align=left|United National Party || 855 || 0.34% || 0 || 54 || 0.12% || 0 || 187 || 0.35% || 0 || 197 || 0.55% || 0 || 1,769 || 2.84% || 0 || 0 || '''3,062''' || '''0.68%''' || '''0''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}}|&nbsp; || align=left|Independent lists || 1,445 || 0.57% || 0 || 29 || 0.06% || 0 || 49 || 0.09% || 0 || 54 || 0.15% || 0 || 327 || 0.52% || 0 || 0 || '''1,904''' || '''0.42%''' || '''0''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Unity Alliance}}|&nbsp; || align=left|Democratic Unity Alliance || 525 || 0.21% || 0 || 61 || 0.13% || 0 || 70 || 0.13% || 0 || || || || 170 || 0.27% || 0 || 0 || '''826''' || '''0.18%''' || '''0''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students}}|&nbsp; || align=left|Eelavar Democratic Front || || || || 300 || 0.66% || 0 || || || || || || || || || || 0 || '''300''' || '''0.07%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Sri Lanka People's Party || 292 || 0.12% || 0 || || || || || || || || || || || || || 0 || '''292''' || '''0.06%''' || '''0''' |- | bgcolor={{party color|Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna}}|&nbsp; || align=left|Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna || 56 || 0.02% || 0 || 18 || 0.04% || 0 || 11 || 0.02% || 0 || 30 || 0.08% || 0 || 173 || 0.28% || 0 || 0 || '''288''' || '''0.06%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|United Socialist Party || 165 || 0.07% || 0 || || || || || || || || || || 23 || 0.04% || 0 || 0 || '''188''' || '''0.04%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Democratic Party || 111 || 0.04% || 0 || 5 || 0.01% || 0 || 11 || 0.02% || 0 || 2 || 0.01% || 0 || 41 || 0.07% || 0 || 0 || '''170''' || '''0.04%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Socialist Equality Party || 101 || 0.04% || 0 || || || || || || || || || || || || || 0 || '''101''' || '''0.02%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Jana Setha Peramuna || 74 || 0.03% || 0 || 2 || 0.00% || 0 || 7 || 0.01% || 0 || 5 || 0.01% || 0 || 2 || 0.00% || 0 || 0 || '''90''' || '''0.02%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Our National Front || || || || || || || 87 || 0.16% || 0 || || || || || || || 0 || '''87''' || '''0.02%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Sri Lanka Labour Party || 16 || 0.01% || 0 || 4 || 0.01% || 0 || 7 || 0.01% || 0 || 2 || 0.01% || 0 || 3 || 0.00% || 0 || 0 || '''32''' || '''0.01%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|United Lanka Great Council || || || || 6 || 0.01% || 0 || 1 || 0.00% || 0 || 6 || 0.02% || 0 || 2 || 0.00% || 0 || 0 || '''15''' || '''0.00%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Nationalities Unity Organisation || || || || 4 || 0.01% || 0 || || || || 10 || 0.03% || 0 || || || || 0 || '''14''' || '''0.00%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|United Lanka People's Party || || || || || || || || || || 2 || 0.01% || 0 || 6 || 0.01% || 0 || 0 || '''8''' || '''0.00%''' || '''0''' |- | || align=left|Muslim Liberation Front || || || || || || || 3 || 0.01% || 0 || || || || || || || 0 || '''3''' || '''0.00%''' || '''0''' |- style="font-weight:bold" | colspan=2 align=left|Valid Votes || 253,542 || 100.00% || 16 || 45,459 || 100.00% || 4 || 53,226 || 100.00% || 5 || 35,982 || 100.00% || 5 || 62,365 || 100.00% || 6 || 2 || 450,574 || 100.00% || 38 |- | colspan=2 align=left|Rejected Votes || 20,279 || || || 4,735 || || || 2,989 || || || 2,820 || || || 4,416 || || || || 35,239 || || |- | colspan=2 align=left|Total Polled || 273,821 || || || 50,194 || || || 56,215 || || || 38,802 || || || 66,781 || || || || 485,813 || || |- | colspan=2 align=left|Registered Electors || 426,813 || || || 68,600 || || || 75,737 || || || 53,683 || || || 94,644 || || || || 719,477 || || |- | colspan=2 align=left|Turnout || 64.15% || || || 73.17% || || || 74.22% || || || 72.28% || || || 70.56% || || || || 67.52% || || |}

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{Northern Province, Sri Lanka topics}} {{Provincial councils of Sri Lanka}} {{Sri Lankan Tamil people}}

Category:Northern Provincial Council