Mannar Urban Council

Mannar Urban Council
Type
Type	Local authority
Leadership
Chairman	Santhanpillai Gnanaprgasam, TNA since March 2011
Deputy Chairman	Sebastiyampillai Jemes Firansis Jesuthasan, TNA since March 2011
Members	7
Elections
Last election	Sri Lankan local government elections, 2011

Mannar Urban Council (MUC) is the local authority for the town of Mannar in north-western Sri Lanka. MUC is responsible for providing a variety of local public services including roads, sanitation, drains, housing, libraries, public parks and recreational facilities. It has 7 members elected using the open list proportional representation system.

History

Mannar Urban Council was created with effect from 15 April 2006 from parts of Mannar Rural Council (Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha).^[1] Mannar didn't have an elected local government for sporadic periods, this was due to various reasons^[2]. Aljazeera, the Asiafoundation and the Daily Mirror attribute this to civil war ^[3][4]; Reuters and the US State Department attribute this to calls for election boycotts by the LTTE (enforced with brutal reprisals for non compliance)^[5][6] and the Tamilnet attribute it to The Sri Lankan government's suspension of all local government in the north and east of the country in 1983 using Emergency Regulations.^[7] Mannar was administered by special commissioners until 2011 when local elections were held.

Election results

2011 local government election

Results of the local government election held on 17 March 2011:^[8]

Alliances and parties		Votes	%	Seats
	Tamil National Alliance (ITAK, EPRLF (S), TELO, PLOTE, TULF, TNLA)	4,757	58.60%	5
	United People's Freedom Alliance (ACMC, EPDP et al.)	2,848	35.08%	2
	United National Party	272	3.35%	0
	Independent 1	236	2.91%	0
	Independent 2	5	0.06%	0
Valid Votes		8,118	100.00%	7
Rejected Votes		345
Total Polled		8,463
Registered Electors		15,979
Turnout		52.96%

The following candidates were elected:^[9] Santhanpillai Gnanaprgasam (TNA); Sebastiyampillai Jemes Firansis Jesuthasan (TNA); Nilamutheen Nahusheen; Anthony Charles Morines Perera; Subramaniyam Pirunthavananathan; Sampooranam Rathinasingam; and Selvarasa Selvakumar.

Santhanpillai Gnanaprgasam (TNA) and Sebastiyampillai Jemes Firansis Jesuthasan (TNA) were appointed Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively.

References

1. ^ "PART IV (B) - LOCAL GOVERNMENT Local Government Notifications URBAN COUNCILS ORDINANCE". The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 1423/2. 12 December 2005. http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2005/pdf/Dec/1423-2/1423-2E.pdf. 
2. ^ Lanka cannot afford to despise UN system
3. ^ In Northern Sri Lanka, Local Governments Prepare for Post-War Development
4. ^ Sri Lankans vote in local elections
5. ^ Sri Lanka's war-weary north votes amid intimidation, mistrust
6. ^ US State Department
7. ^ "TNA urges PM to put off NE local polls". TamilNet. 11 September 2002. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7457. Retrieved 4 July 2009. 
8. ^ "Local Authorities Election - 17.03.2011 Mannar District Mannar Urban Council". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. http://www.slelections.gov.lk/local_authorities2011/1201.html. 
9. ^ "PART IV (B) — LOCAL GOVERNMENT Notices under the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262) LOCAL AUTHORITY ELECTIONS ORDINANCE". The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 1699/5. 28 March 2011. http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2011/PDF/Mar/1699-5/1699_5E.pdf.