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Sri Lankan Provinces from 1988

Provinces  Central - Eastern - North Central - North Western - Northern - Sabaragamuwa - Southern - Uva - Western - Former Province  North Eastern -

Note: Nov 14 1987 the Thirteenth amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution passed, authorizing the establishment of provincial councils to govern the nine provinces which had previously not had any administrative authority.

Party abbreviations: DUNF = Democratic United National Front (split from EJP, est.1990); EJP = Ekshat Jathika Pakshaya (United National Party [UNP], democratic-socialist, est.1947); EPRLF = Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (leftist, Tamil natitonalist, est.1980); JVP = Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front, est.1965); PA = Peoples' Alliance (includes SLNP); SLMP = Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (Sri Lanka People's Party, progressive; in coalition with SLNP within the People's Alliance [BNP], est.1984); SLNP = Sri Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya (Sri Lanka Freedom Party, socialist, est.1951); TMVP = Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (Tamil Peoples Liberation Tigers, ethnic Tamil, split from LTTE, est. 2004); UNF = United National Front (coalition incl. EJP); UPFA = United People's Freedom Alliance (center-left coalition, of PA and JVA, est.2004);
- Former parties/groups: LTTE = Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil nationalist, militant separatist, 1976-2009)

Central

[Central province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
Jun 1988 -  1 Feb 1990     Edwin Loku Bandara Hurulle         (b. 1919 - d. 2009)
 1 Feb 1990 - May 1994     P.C. Imbulana 
May 1994 - 1998            E.L. Senanayake                    (b. 1921 - d. 2000) 
May 1998 - 2000            Stanley Tillekeratne               (b. 1928? - d. 2005)
 1 Feb 2000 - 2001         Tudor Karunatilleke Dassanayake    (d. 2006)
2001 - 27 Jun 2002         Kiri Banda Ratnayake               (b. 1923? - d. 2004) 
 27 Jun 2002 - 26 Sep 2005  Monty Gopallawa                    (b. 1941 - d. 2005)
Sep 2005 - 16 Dec 2005     Jagath Balasuriya (acting)
16 Dec 2005 -              Tikiri Banda Kobbekaduwa           (b. 1955)

Chief ministers
 9 Jun 1988 - Jun 1998     W.M.P.B. Dissanayake (1st time)    (b. 1927 - d. 2003)  EJP
Jun 1998 - Apr 1999        Vacant
Apr 1999 - Jun 1999        Sarath Ekanayake (1st time)                             PA
Jun 1999 -  6 Nov 2000     Nandimithra Ekanayake                                   SLNP
 6 Nov 2000 - 30 Apr 2002  Sarath Ekanayake (2nd time)                             PA
30 Apr 2002 - 29 May 2003  W.M.P.B. Dissanayake (2nd time)    (s.a.)               PA
19 May 2003 - 18 Jul 2004  Wasantha Aluvihare                                      PA
                            (acting to 5 Jun 2003 [for Dissanayake to 29 May 2003])
18 Jul 2004 -              Sarath Ekanayake (3rd time)                             UPFA/PA

Eastern

[Eastern province (Sri Lanka)]
                  Adopted May 2007

 1 Jan 2007                Created from the division of North Eastern province.

Governor
 1 Jan 2007 -              Mohan Wijewickrama

Chief minister
16 May 2008 -              Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan      (b. 1975)             TMVP/UPFA
                             "Pillayan"


North Central 

[North Central province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
May 1988 - May 1989        D.B. Welagedera
11 May 1989 - 10 May 1994  E.L. Senanayake                    (b. 1921 - d. 2000)
11 May 1994 - Sep 1994     Edwin Hurulle 
 7 Sep 1994 - 12 Jul 1998  Maithripala Senanayake             (b. 1916 - d. 1998)
1998 - 27 Aug 2003         G.M.S. Samaraweera                 (b. 1937? - d. 2006)
27 Aug 2003 - 13 Nov 2006  Jagath Balasuriya                  (b. c.1940)
13 Nov 2006 -              Karunarathna Divulgane

Chief ministers
 8 May 1988 -  2 May 1996  G.D. Mahindasoma                                        EJP
 2 May 1996 - Jun 1998     Jayasena Dissanayake                                    EJP
Jun 1998 - Apr 1999        Vacant
15 Apr 1999 - Jun 1999     Jayani Dissanayake (f)                                  PA
Jun 1999 -                 Berty Premalal Dissanayake                              UPFA/PA


North Eastern 

[North Eastern Province (Sri Lanka)]

 1 Jan 2007                Divided into Eastern and Northern provinces.

Governors 
30 Nov 1988 - 30 Nov 1993  Nalin Seneviratne                  (b. 1931)
30 Nov 1993 - 23 Aug 1994  Lionel Fernando
13 Jan 1995 - 20 Oct 1998  Gamini Fonseka                     (b. 1936 - d. 2004)
13 Nov 1998 - 30 Nov 2004  Asoka Jayawardena
 6 Dec 2004 - 20 Jan 2006  Tyronne Fernando                   (b. 1941 - d. 2008)
20 Jan 2006 - 31 Dec 2006  Mohan Wijewickrema

Chief Ministers
10 Dec 1988 - 10 Mar 1990  Varatharaja Perumal                                     EPRLF
10 Mar 1990 - 31 Dec 2006  Vacant

Tamil Eelam

[Tamil Tigers (LTTE)]
LTTE  Flag Adopted 27 Nov 1990

President and Prime minister (National Leader of the LTTE)
15 Jul 1983 - 18 May 2009  Velupillai Prabhakaran "Thambi"    (b. 1954 - d. 2009)  LTTE
                             (in rebellion, in northeast and Jaffna)


North Western

[North Western province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
 1 Jun 1988 - 31 Jan 1989  Dingiri Banda Wijetunge            (b. 1922 - d. 2008)
 1 Feb 1989 - 13 Oct 1993  Montague Jayawickrama
13 Oct 1993 -  7 Jul 1994  Karunasena Kodituwakku             (b. 1945)
 8 Jul 1994 - 12 Jan 1995  Ananda De Alwis
13 Jan 1995 -  3 Jan 1999  Hector Arawwawala
 3 Jan 1999 - 30 Apr 2004  Siripala Jayaweera
30 Apr 2004 -  5 Oct 2007  Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi           (b. 1920? - d. 2007)
 6 Oct 2007 -              Tissa Reginald Balalla

Chief Ministers
 4 May 1988 - 19 Oct 1993  Gamini Jayawickrema Perera         (b. 1941)            EJP
19 Oct 1993 - 27 Aug 1994  G.M. Premachandra                  (d. 1994)            DUNF
27 Aug 1994 - 28 Jan 1999  R. Nimal K. Bandara                                        EJP
28 Jan 1999 - 2002         Seneviratne Bandara Nawinne        (b. 1946)            PA
2002 -                     Athula Kumara Wijesinghe                                UPFA/PA

Northern

[Northern Province (Sri Lanka)]
                            Adopted May 2007

 1 Jan 2007                Created from the division of North Eastern province.

Governors
 1 Jan 2007 -  3 Jul 2008  Mohan Wijewickrama (acting)
 3 Jul 2008 - 10 Oct 2008  Victor Perera
10 Oct 2008 - 12 Jul 2009  Dickson Sarathchandra Dela
12 Jul 2009 -              G.A. Chandrasiri                   (b. 1954)


Sabaragamuwa

[Sabaragamuwa province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
30 Apr 1988 - 1993         Noel Wimalasena
1993 -  9 Jun 2005         C.N. Saliya Mathew
 9 Jun 2005 - Feb 2008     Reggie Padmasena Ranatunga         (b. 1937 - d. 2008)
22 Feb 2008 -  2 Oct 2008  Dickson Sarathchandra Dela
 2 Oct 2008 - 12 May 2009  Mohan Saliya Ellawala              (b. 1948 - d. 2009)
May 2009 -  5 Jul 2009     Alavi Moulana (acting)             (b. 1932)
 5 Jul 2009 -              Janaka Priyantha Bandara

 
Chief ministers
Apr 1988 - Apr 1989        G.V. Punchinilame                                       EJP
10 Apr 1989 - Mar 1993     Abeyratne Pilapitiya                                    EJP
Mar 1993 - Jun 1998        H. Jayatilake Podinilame                                EJP
Jun 1998 - Apr 1999        Vacant
Apr 1999 - Jun 1999        Kantha Gunatilleke
Jun 1999 - Oct 2000        Athauda Seneviratne                (b. 1931)            PA
Oct 2000 - 13 Dec 2001     Asoka Jayawardena                                       PA
13 Dec 2001 - 16 Jul 2004  Mohan Saliya Ellawala              (s.a.)               PA
16 Jul 2004 -              Mahipala Herath                                         UPFA/PA


Southern

[Southern province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
13 Jun 1988 - Dec 1993     Mohamed Abdul Bakeer Markar        (b. 1917 - d. 1997)
Dec 1993 - Dec 1994        Leslie Mervyn Jayaratna
Jan 1995 - 20 Sep 1999     Neville Kanakaratne                (b. 1923 - d. 1999)
1999 - 2002                Ananda Dassanayake
 1 Feb 2002 - 23 Oct 2006  Kingsley Tissa Wickramaratne
23 Oct 2006 -              Kumari Balasuriya (f)              (b. 1949)

Chief ministers
16 Jun 1988 - Oct 1993     Matarage Sirisena Amarasiri                             EJP
Oct 1993 - Jan 1994        Amarasiri Dodangoda (1st time)     (b. 1942 - d. 2009)  PA
Jan 1994 - Mar 1994        Vacant
Mar 1994 - Sep 1994        Amarasiri Dodangoda (2nd time)     (s.a.)               PA
Sep 1994 - 21 Dec 2001     Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena           (b. 1945)            PA
21 Dec 2001 - 18 Jul 2004  H.G. Sirisena                                           PA
16 Jul 2004 -              Shan Wijelal de Silva                                   PA


Uva

[Uva province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
May 1988 - Jan 1990        P.C. Imbulana
Feb 1990 - Mar 1993        Tilak Ratnayake
Mar 1993 - Dec 1994        Abeyratne Pilapitiya
Jan 1995 - 1999            Ananda Dassanayake
1999 - 25 Apr 2003         M.S. Amarasiri
25 Apr 2003 -              C. Nanda Mathew 

Chief Ministers
May 1988 - Jun 1998        Percy Samaraweera                  (d. 1999)            EJP
Jun 1998 - Apr 1999        Vacant
Apr 1999                   Nalini Weerawanni (f)                                   PA
Apr 1999 - 29 Oct 2001     Samaraweera Weerawanni                                  PA
29 Oct 2001 - 22 Jul 2004  Aththintha Marakalage Buddhadasa                        EJP
 22 Jul 2004 - 20 Aug 2009  Gamini Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa                         EJP
20 Aug 2009 -              Shashindra Rajapaksa                                    UPFA


Western

[Western Province (Sri Lanka)]

Governors
 6 Jun 1988 - 10 Jun 1994  Suppiah Sharvananda                (b. 1923 - d. 2007)
11 Jul 1994 -  1 Dec 1994  D.M. Swaminathan
 3 Jan 1995 -  2 Jan 2000  K. Vignarajah
21 Jan 2000 -  1 Feb 2002  P. Ramanathan
 1 Feb 2002 -              Alavi Moulana                      (b. 1932)

Chief Ministers
 9 Jun 1988 - 16 Mar 1993  Susil Kumar Munasinghe             (b. 1930)            EJP
 2 Jun 1993 - 22 Aug 1994  Chandrika Bandaranaike             (b. 1945)            SLMP/PA
                             Kumaratunga (f)
22 Aug 1994 - 11 Jul 1995  Morris Rajapakse                   (d. 1995)            PA
13 Jul 1995 - Jun 1998     A.D. Susil Premajayantha (1st time)(b. 1955)            PA
Jun 1998 - Apr 1999        Vacant
Apr 1999 -  9 Nov 2000     A.D. Susil Premajayantha (2nd time)(s.a.)               PA
 9 Nov 2000 - 22 Jun 2005  Reginald Cooray (1st time)         (b. 1932)            UPFA/PA
22 Jun 2005 -  3 Jul 2005  Nandana Mendis                                          UPFA/PA
 3 Jul 2005 -  4 May 2009  Reginald Cooray (2nd time)         (s.a.)               UPFA/PA
 4 May 2009 -              Prasanna Ranatunga                                      UPFA/PA






©2002  Ben Cahoon