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66-526: Batticaloa District is located in the east of Sri Lanka in the Eastern Province . It has an area of 2,854 square kilometres (1,102 sq mi). Batticaloa District is divided into 14 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 346 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions). Batticaloa District's population

132-563: A pardon . The president has immunity from both civil and criminal proceedings. The president has the power to commission public inquires by appointing a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate any issue. President of Sri Lanka is the nation's Chief Diplomat. Through this role, they are responsible for carrying out negotiations with foreign leaders and their governments and appoint diplomatic agents . The president has an important ceremonial role in terms of state ceremonies, functions, and awarding state awards. Most notable would be

198-783: 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. On 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987, establishing provincial councils. On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling

264-518: A second term.” But "A person succeeding to the office of the President under the provisions of article 40 of the constitution shall not be entitled to exercise the right conferred above." Succession to or vacancies in the office of president may arise under several possible circumstances: death or incapacity, resignation, or removal from office. In the case when the president is unable to perform their duties, their powers are temporarily transferred to

330-427: Is a Municipal Council, two are Urban Councils and the remaining nine are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha). Eastern Province, Sri Lanka The Eastern Province ( Tamil : கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Kiḻakku Mākāṇam ; Sinhala : නැගෙනහිර පළාත Næ̆gĕnahira Paḷāta ) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka , the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since

396-667: Is eligible to serve two terms. According to the Article 31 (3A) of the Constitution, The Term of office starts from the Date of the Inauguration of the President and he can call an early Presidential election after expiration of 4 years of his first term. If the elected President did not call can early Presidential election, the next Presidential election shall take place not more than two months and not less than one month before

462-450: Is ranked at the level of a cabinet minister in the order of precedence . Apart from a bar of standing for election for a third term as President, a former President has no restriction from holding any other office. While most Presidents retired from public life after their tenure, Mahinda Rajapaksa continued to engage in active politics after his term in office, serving as a Member of Parliament for Kurunegala from 2015 to 2024, Leader of

528-783: Is surrounded by the Northern Province to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Southern Province to the south, and the Uva , Central and North Central provinces to the west. The province's coast is dominated by lagoons , the largest being Batticaloa Lagoon , Kokkilai lagoon , Upaar Lagoon and Ullackalie Lagoon . The Eastern Province is divided into 3 administrative districts , 45 Divisional Secretary's Divisions (DS Divisions) and 1,085 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions). The Eastern province's population

594-612: Is the head of state and head of government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka . The president is the chief executive of the union government and the commander-in-chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces . The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, in addition to their relation with the Prime minister and Government of Sri Lanka , have over time differed with

660-675: The Supreme Court requesting a separate provincial council for the East. On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null and void and had no legal effect. The North-East Province was formally de-merged into the Northern and Eastern provinces on 1 January 2007. Much of the Eastern Province was under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during

726-668: The United National Party 1 seat. On 10 December 1988 Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal of the EPRLF became the first Chief Minister of the North-East Provincial Council. On 1 March 1990, just as the IPKF were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Permual moved a motion in the North-East Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam . President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving

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792-566: The Westminster system with a more semi-presidential system . The presidency became an executive post based closely on the French model , and was now both head of state and head of government, with a longer term and independent from Parliament . The president was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, head of the cabinet of ministers, and has the power to dissolve and call a parliament. The prime minister would serve as both an assistant and

858-626: The civil war . The entire province was recaptured by the Sri Lankan military in 2007. Many community members blamed Pro-Government Tamil groups such as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). In 2008 due to the indiscriminate firearm use by various Tamil factions government planned to disarm Tamil Paramilitary groups. However the TMVP kept arms due to threat of LTTE and denied they were active in Civilian areas. TMVP

924-464: The presidential yacht . President's Security Division (PSD) is the main unit charged with the close protection of the President of Sri Lanka. During President Mahinda Rajapakse 's time in office the specialized Army unit the ' President's Guard ' was formed for Presidential Security. Prior to the formation of the President's Guard, army personnel served as a squadron under the President's Security Division since 1996 and focused on key tasks including

990-466: The prime minister until confirmed by Parliament. According to the Article 40 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka , "If the office of President shall become vacant prior to the expiration of his term of office, Parliament shall elect as President one of its Members who is qualified to be elected to the office of President. Any person so succeeding to the office of President shall hold office only for

1056-545: The prime minister , cabinet and non-cabinet ministers , provincial governors , public officers , ambassadors and commissioned officers of the armed forces. The president may also appoint secretaries, officers, and staff. The president would have the power to appoint and remove, the chief justice , justices of the Supreme Court , justices of the Court of Appeal and judges of the High Court . The president may grant

1122-612: The resignation of President Rajapaksa . In both times, they were succeeded by then Prime Ministers; D. B. Wijetunga in 1993 and Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2022. At the time of the Creation of office in 1972, the term of the office of the President was a term of six years. After the Introduction of the Executive Presidency in 1978, The President is elected by Popular vote and shall hold the office for 6 years and

1188-463: The secretary to the president (also known as the president's secretary ), who is the most senior civil servant in the country. The president has the ability to appoint any number of advisers as presidential advisers . The highest-ranking of which is known as senior advisers . During his tenure, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed 38 advisers. The chief of staff is the highest-ranking officer that handles presidential staff.Currently

1254-412: The "Granary of Sri Lanka". It contributes 25% of national paddy production, 17% of national milk production, and 21% of national fish production. Maize cultivation is expanding, large scale maize cultivation with hybrid seeds and contractual marketing has increased production significantly and it is targeted to produce 25 per cent of the country's maize requirement. The industrial sector contributed 34% of

1320-488: The 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils . Between 1988 and 2006 the province was temporarily merged with the Northern Province to form the North Eastern Province . The capital of the province is Trincomalee . Kalmunai is the largest and most populous city of Eastern Province. In 1815

1386-808: The British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon . They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamil . The Eastern Province was part of the Tamil administration. In 1833, in accordance with the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission , the ethnic based administrative structures were unified into a single administration divided into five geographic provinces. The districts of Batticaloa , Bintenna (part of present-day Badulla District ), Tamankaduva (present day Polonnaruwa District ) and Trincomalee formed

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1452-550: The Ceylon Independence Act of 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947, Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known then) became a constitutional monarchy with a Westminster parliamentary form of government. The monarch of Ceylon served as the head of state , represented by the governor-general with the prime minister serving as the head of government . The governor-general replaced

1518-865: The Eastern province for the people who live below the poverty line, developing the Trincomalee Harbour , construction of the Sampur Power Station , Development of Maritime park and a Maritime Museum in Trincomalee, creation of the Sampur industrial zone, development of bus stands, canals and the Oluvil Harbour in Ampara district. Eastern province has an area of 9,996 square kilometres (3,859 sq mi). The province

1584-553: The North-East Province, rigged the elections in the north so that the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), two Indian backed paramilitary groups, won all of the 36 seats in the north uncontested. However, elections did take place for the 35 seats in the east. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress won 17 seats, EPRLF 12 seats, ENDLF 5 seats and

1650-417: The Northern and Eastern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected Council. The North-East Province was born. The proclamations 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

1716-418: The President can dismiss both the national and state governments from power in 3 situations: corruption, treason, and inability to govern. The president has the right to attend Parliament once in every three months, but is not entitled to vote. They have the right to address or send messages to Parliament and to summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament. The president makes numerous appointments which include

1782-474: The Private Secretary to the President. A window of a former president is entitled to a monthly secretarial allowance, equal to the current salary of the Private Secretary to a cabinet minister . A former president and the widow of a former president are entitled to official transport and all such other facilities provided to a cabinet minister. A former President or the widow of a former president

1848-727: The Province's GDP and export processing zones like the Trincomalee EPZ and Sampur Heavy Industrial Zone have been developed to boost the industrial sector alongside the Trincomalee Harbour , which is being developed for Break bulk , Bulk cargo and industrial activities including heavy industries. The province benefits from a large tourism industry with many seaside resorts and hotels situated mainly in lagoons as well as beaches such as Pasikudah , Nilaveli , Uppuveli and Kalkudah . Historic sites and other natural attractions such as Pigeon Island , coral reefs contribute to

1914-541: The administrative functions of the presidency and other ministerial portfolios that are held by the president. Initially located at President's House , the staff of the office of the president grew with the establishment of the executive presidency and moved into the former Parliament building in Colombo in the 1980s which now hosts the Presidential Secretariat. The Presidential Secretariat is headed by

1980-561: The capital Colombo . The war also caused many people from all ethnic and religious groups who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the district since the end of the civil war. In 2016 the district was one of the poorest in Sri Lanka and had the fourth-highest incidence of extreme poverty according to the World Bank . Batticaloa District has 12 local authorities of which one

2046-534: The consolidated fund. It was increased from LKR 25,000 (≈ $ 500) to LKR 100,000 in 2006. By tradition, the president and past presidents are not subjected to income tax . This practice dates back to the pre-republic era when the crown was not subject to tax . In 2018, this practice was changed with the Inland Revenue Bill which removed the tax exemption given to the President. The president has immunity from both civil or criminal proceedings, during

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2112-727: The construction and repairing of roads, schools, hospitals, resettlement of IDPs and construction of Nanasala ICT centers. There are currently 88 Nanasala ICT education centers in the Eastern Province. Other Projects include reconstructing the Walai Iravu bridge which was destroyed by the LTTE, developing the Weber stadium in the Batticaloa town, increasing agricultural production, construction of Manmunai , Vavunativu and New Oddamavadi bridges, carpeting roads, constructing 48,000 houses in

2178-422: The country caved into a severe economic crisis , and as result, mass anti-government protests erupted across Sri Lanka. The protesters demanded for then-incumbent president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government step down. The protestors also demanded amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka and to reduce the powers of the President. After Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

2244-476: The country or any part under a state of emergency , under which they can override any law passed and promulgate any regulation without needing legislative approval. However, to prolong the state of emergency for more than 6 months, parliamentary approval is needed. In case of external invasion, a state of national defense can be proclaimed, which allows the government extraordinary powers. Martial law can be declared in provinces under extraordinary conditions. Further,

2310-426: The date of taking a public oath of office for the elected term. The President of Sri Lanka is elected through a system of limited ranked voting . Voters can express up to three ranked preferences for the presidency. If no candidate receives more than 50% of all valid votes in the first count, all candidates except the two who received the highest number of votes are eliminated. The second and third preference votes of

2376-404: The deputy to the president and also the president's successor. The 17th Constitutional Amendment introduced in 2001 reduced certain powers of the president, in particular in regard to the appointment of the upper judiciary and independent commissions such as the election commission or the bribery and corruption commission. In 2010, the highly controversial 18th Amendment to the constitution

2442-485: The eliminated candidates are then redistributed to the remaining two candidates until one of them secures an outright majority. Article 31 (3A)(a)(i) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, states that, the "President may, at any time after the expiration of four years from the commencement of his first term of office, by Proclamation, declare his intention of appealing to the People for a mandate to hold office, by election, for

2508-479: The elite Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lanka Police . After the oath of office has been taken by the elected president, a presidential flag was adopted by the president as the insignia of their office. Each president had a unique standard, incorporating traditional symbols associated with the president or their home region. This was the case until Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe abolished

2574-510: The expiration of the term of the incumbent President. 19th Amendment to the Constitution reduced the term of office to Five years and the Incumbent President can call an early Presidential election after the expiration of four years of his first term. Furthermore, Article 31 (3A) of the Constitution states that an any person succeeding to the office of President under the provisions of Article 40 shall not be entitled to exercise

2640-433: The government of Sri Lanka. The president would receive letter of credence from foreign ambassadors. The president may appoint provincial governors to head the provincial council and serve as their representative in the province. The president may also appoint any number of advisers as presidential advisers and coordinate secretaries to assist them. The president has the power to appoint senior attorneys-at-law to

2706-544: The individual. A widow of a former president would receive a monthly pension which the former president was entitled to drawn from the Consolidated Fund. As per the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986 , a former president or the widow of a former president is entitled to an official residence. A former president is entitled to a monthly secretarial allowance equal to the current salary of

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2772-574: The industry. The 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central , North Western , Sabaragamuwa , and Uva provinces. Elections in the newly merged North-East Province were scheduled for 19 November 1988. However, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), which at that time occupied

2838-419: The key provisions in 21st Amendment is disqualifying dual-citizens from contesting in elections in Sri Lanka . The article 31 Constitution of Sri Lanka sets the following qualifications for holding the presidency: The president is elected to office in a presidential election held nationwide for a five-year term. An elected president can serve for a maximum of two terms, with each term taking effect from

2904-519: The life of the "temporary" entity. The merger was bitterly opposed by Sri Lankan nationalists. The combined North-East Province occupied one fourth of Sri Lanka. The thought of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlling this province, directly or indirectly, alarmed them greatly. On 14 July 2006, after a long campaign against the merger, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna political party filed three separate petitions with

2970-426: The new Eastern Province. Tamankaduva was transferred to the newly created North Central Province in 1873 and Bintenna was transferred to the newly created Uva Province in 1886. The Indo-Lanka Accord signed on 29 July 1987 required the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the provinces and, in the interim, to merge the Northern and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit . The accord required

3036-457: The perimeter security of the presidential residence, Temple Trees . 5th Regiment Sri Lanka Armored Corps was the first army unit chosen to be in the dedicated security of the president of Sri Lanka during the presidency of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga . However, in April 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved the President's Guard. Currently the president's security is provided by

3102-529: The position is vacant after Dissanayake took office in 2024. The president may appoint any number of coordinating secretaries to assist him/her. The president is the chair of the Board of Governors of the President's Fund which was established under the President's Fund Act No. 7 of 1978 to provide funds for relief of poverty, access to special healthcare, advancement of education or knowledge, advancement of

3168-406: The position of President's Counsel . The president may appoint officers from the armed forces to serve as their aide-de-camp as well as extra-aide-de-camp. Additionally, the president may appoint medical officers of the armed forces as Honorary Physician to the President and Honorary Surgeon to the President. The president receives a monthly salary (as of 2016) of LKR 100,000 (≈ $ 1,000) paid from

3234-472: The position of the Governor of British Ceylon , who had previously exercised executive control over the entire island since 1815. In 1972, the new Republican Constitution declared Sri Lanka a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state. The president was a largely ceremonial figure; real power remained vested in the prime minister. In 1978, the second amendment to the Constitution replaced

3300-675: The president uses the presidential state car , which is an armored black Mercedes-Benz S-Class (S600) Pullman Guard. For Domestic air travel, helicopters from the No. 4 (VVIP/VIP) Helicopter Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force are used. For foreign travel, Special or Regular Flights of the Sri Lankan Airlines are used. During ceremonial occasions, ships and boats of the Sri Lanka Navy have been commissioned as

3366-467: The presidential flag. The 'Attaché Case', Presidential Dispatch Bag carries important and secret documents wherever president is traveling. This was specifically designed by Sri Lanka Army . President will hand over the Dispatch Bag from one President to the next in line. The Presidential Secretariat is the government ministry that functions as the office and staff of the president, supporting

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3432-686: The provincial council and imposing direct rule on the province. The north-east was ruled directly from Colombo until May 2008 when elections were held in the demerged Eastern Province (the Northern Province continued to be governed from Colombo). [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] President of Sri Lanka [REDACTED] The president of Sri Lanka ( Sinhala : ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති Śrī Lankā Janādhipathi ; Tamil : இலங்கை ஜனாதிபதி Ilankai janātipati )

3498-459: The relative safety of the capital Colombo . The conflict has also caused some of the Tamils, Moors and Sinhalese who lived in the province to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the province since the end of the civil war. Islam is the plurality religion in Eastern Province. The Eastern Province has a primarily agriculture-based economy and is commonly known as

3564-458: The religion and culture, providing awards to persons who have served the nation and for any other purposes beneficial or of interest to the public. It is administered by the Presidential Secretariat. Under the Constitution of Sri Lanka, a former president will be granted a pension equal to the last pay drawn while in office drawn from the Consolidated Fund. This pension would be in addition to any other pension to which any prior service will entitle

3630-482: The right to call an early Presidential election and will hold the office till expiration of the term of his Predecessor. Duties of the president as described in the constitution are to: Presidents have little constraints on their power. The president shall be responsible to Parliament and can be impeached and removed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament. The president may declare war and peace. They can place

3696-517: The tenure of office and acts carried out during this period. The official residence of the president in Colombo is the President's House (formerly the Queen's House as the residence of the governor-general). The government pays for meals and staff. Other presidential residences include: In recent years from time to time Prime Minister's House , commonly referred to as Temple Trees , which has been

3762-493: The traditional throne speech delivered by the president to the parliament outlining the official policy statement of the new government to the parliament. The president would lead the independence day celebrations as well as other national ceremonies such as remembrance day , Wap Magul (ceremonial ploughing) and receive the Perahera Sandeshaya . National honours would be awarded by the president on behalf of

3828-464: The traditional residence of the prime minister since 1948, has been used by some presidents such as Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa . Other presidents, such as Jayewardene and Sirisena , have refused to use the President's House, with the former preferring to stay at his personal residence in Braemar , and the latter at his former ministerial residence at Wijayarama Mawatha. For ground travel,

3894-545: The unexpired period of the term of office of the President vacating office. Until the election of a successor, the powers and functions of the office of the President will discharged by the Prime Minister in his capacity as Acting president ." Throughout the history, Office of the President has fallen vacant two times; first in 1993, after the Assassination of then President Premadasa and again in 2022, after

3960-621: The various constitutional documents since the creation of the office. The president appoints the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka who can command the confidence of the Parliament of Sri Lanka . Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the 10th and current president, having assumed office on 23 September 2024, after being declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election . Under the Soulbury Constitution which consisted of

4026-440: Was elected president by the parliament. In October 2022, the 21st Constitutional Amendment was introduced as plan to empower the parliament over the executive president and curbs some of the powers of the president. Under the 21st Amendment, the President, Cabinet of Ministers and National Council are all held accountable to the parliament. Fifteen Committees and Oversight Committees are also accountable to parliament. One of

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4092-466: Was 1,551,381 in 2012. The province is the most diverse in Sri Lanka, both ethnically and religiously. The population of the province, like that of the Northern Province, was heavily affected by the civil war . The war killed an estimated 100,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to

4158-405: Was 525,142 in 2012. The population of the district mostly Sri Lankan Tamil. The population of the district, like the rest of the east and north , was affected by the civil war . The war killed an estimated 100,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of

4224-423: Was defeated by Maithripala Sirisena . The 19th Constitutional Amendment undid much of the changes done by the 18th Amendment. The two-term limit was restored by president Maithripala Sirisena. The amendment required the president to consult the prime minister on ministerial appointments. It curtailed any president's immunity by making them liable to fundamental rights litigation on any official act. In 2022,

4290-649: Was finally disarmed in 2009 after the LTTE was defeated. The Eastern Province has received at least $ 500 million from international donors since coming under the control of the government of Sri Lanka in 2007, according to the International Crisis Group . Since the end of the war the Eastern Province has seen considerable development under the Nagenahira Navodaya (Eastern Revival) program which include various agricultural, infrastructural and Social development projects. These include

4356-413: Was introduced in order to remove the two-term limit for the presidency. The 18th amendment allowed the incumbent president to serve multiple terms as well as increase their power by replacing the broader constitutional council with a limited parliamentary council . This amendment was introduced by president Mahinda Rajapaksa and he later went on to run for a third term of presidency in 2015 , wherein he

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