Jaffna Municipal Council

Jaffna Municipal Council (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம் மாநகர சபை Yāḻppāṇam Mānakara Capai; JMC) is the local authority for the city of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.^[1] JMC is responsible for providing a variety of local public services including roads, sanitation, drains, housing, libraries, public parks and recreational facilities. It has 23 members elected using the open list proportional representation system.

Mayors

Yogeswari Patkunarajah was the city's last mayor; she was elected on 12 October 2009.^[2]

Election results

1983 local government election

Results of the local government election held on 18 May 1983:^[3]

According to the pro-LTTE TamilNet, the Sri Lankan government had suspended all local government in the north and east of the country in 1983 using emergency regulations.^[4] The civil war prevented elections from being held for JMC until 1998 as the LTTE did not hold elections when it controlled the area.^[5]

In March 1994 elections were held in the east and in Vavuniya in the north. However, elections weren't held in other areas of the north, including the Jaffna peninsula, because most of these areas were at that time controlled by the rebel Tamil Tigers. In August 1995 the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive to recapture the Jaffna peninsula. By December 1995 the military had captured most of the Valikamam region of the peninsula, including the city of Jaffna. By 16 May 1996 the military had recaptured the entire peninsula.^[6] In late 1996 the government announced elections would be held for 23 local authorities in Jaffna District, Kilinochchi District, Mannar District and Vavuniya District but following opposition from Tamil political parties postponed them.^[7] On 3 December 1997 the government announced that elections would be held for the 17 local authorities on the Jaffna peninsula.^[8] The Tamil political parties were still opposed to holding elections as "normalcy" hadn't returned to the peninsula. The peninsula was under the firm grip of the Sri Lankan military and civil government had little, if any, role in the administration of the peninsula. The Tamil Tigers were also firmly against the elections being held. Despite these objections the elections were held on 29 January 1998.

1998 local government election

Results of the local government election held on 29 January 1998:^[9][10]

On 1 January 2002 local authority elections were called for the entire country.^[11][12] It was later announced that elections would be held on 25 March 2002 in the north and east, and on 20 March 2002 in the rest of the country.^[13][14] The normal life term of Sri Lankan local government bodies is four years. The life term of JMC expired in February 2002 but the central government extended this by another year, as the law allows. On 21 March 2002 the Election Commissioner announced that the elections in the north and east, except for eight local authorities in Ampara District, had been postponed until 25 September 2002.^[15][16] On 17 September 2002 elections in the north and east were postponed, for a second time, until 25 June 2003.^[17] Elections should have been held when the extension expired in February 2003 but in January 2003, following a request from the Tamil National Alliance, the central government instead dissolved JMC using emergency powers and instead put in place special commissioners to administer the local area.^[18] In June 2003 elections in the north and east were postponed, for a third time, until 24 January 2004.^[19] In January 2004 elections in the north and east, except for local authorities in Ampara District, were postponed, for a fourth time, until 23 October 2004.^[20]

On 27 January 2006 local authority elections were called for the entire country.^[21][22] It was later announced that elections would be held on 30 March 2006 across the entire country.^[23] The Election Commissioner subsequently postponed the elections in the north and Batticaloa District until 30 September 2006.^[24] On 23 September 2006 elections in the north and Batticaloa District were postponed until 30 June 2007.^[25][26]

JMC continued to be administered by special commissioners until the 2009 elections.

2009 local government election

Results of the local government election held on 8 August 2009:^[27]

The following candidates were elected:^[28] Mudiyappu Remediyas (TNA), 4,223 preference votes (pv); Thurairajah Illango alias Regan (UPFA-EPDP), 3,387 pv; Mohamed Sultan Moulavi Sufian (Ind 1), 1,779 pv; Anthonypillai Mariamma (TNA), 1,678 pv; Murugiah Komahan (UPFA-EPDP), 1,573 pv; Karthigesu Nadarasa Kanagaratnam (TNA), 1,442 pv; Manuel Mangaleswaran alias Nesapriyan (UPFA-EPDP), 1,394 pv; Meerasahib Mohamed Rameez (UPFA-ACMC), 1,338 pv; Patkunam Yogeswary (UPFA-EPDP), 1,250 pv; Pilevian Expedith Cracian (UPFA-EPDP), 1,166 pv; Nadarajah Rajathevan (TNA), 1,118 pv; Benjamin Jacob (TNA), 1,039 pv; Mohamed Merasahib Mustafa (UPFA-ACMC), 1,029 pv; Manikkam Kanagaraththinam (UPFA-EPDP), 1,025 pv; Ariyakuddy Paramsothy (TNA), 1,007 pv; Sutharsingh Vijiyakanth (UPFA-EPDP), 989 pv; Asker Roomi Badurtheen (UPFA-ACMC), 979 pv; Ajmaeen Asfar (UPFA-ACMC), 960 pv; Suvikaran Nishanthan (UPFA-EPDP), 896 pv; Anthonipillai Cilapotasious (UPFA-EPDP), 889 pv; Mariyakorattry Anton (TNA), 881 pv; Arulappu Korneliyas (TNA), 826 pv; and Veerasingham Anandasangaree (TULF) 424 pv.

Patkunam Yogeswary (UPFA-EPDP) and Thurairajah Illango (UPFA-EPDP) were appointed Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively.^[29] Mudiyappu Remediyas of the TNA was appointed as the Opposition Leader of the Council but he crossed over to the UPFA in June 2011.^[30]

Suvikaran Nishanthan (UPFA-EPDP) ceased to be member of JMC in January 2012 after ceasing to be a member of the UPFA.^[31] He was replaced as Chairman by Iyaththurai Kanagiah (TNA).

Thurairajah Illango (UPFA-EPDP) resigned from being Deputy Mayor and was replaced by Meerasahib Mohamed Rameez (UPFA-ACMC).^[32]

References

External links

• Jaffna Municipal Council
• Jaffna Library

Municipal councils of Sri Lanka
Colombo Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Kaduwela Moratuwa Negombo Gampaha Kurunegala Kandy Matale Dambulla Nuwara Eliya Badulla Bandarawela Galle Matara Hambantota Ratnapura Anuradhapura Jaffna Batticaloa Kalmunai Akkaraipattu