President Rajapakse's United People's Freedom Alliance, running in a coalition with the breakaway LTTE faction known as the TMVP (formerly 'Karuna faction'), wins control of the Eastern Provincial government.
Timeline of events under "13th Amendment" issue
The Thamil Makkal Vidudal Puligal (TMVP) party wins 72 of 101 seats on nine local councils, the first elections in Eastern Sri Lanka for 14 years. For the municipal council of Batticaloa, the TMVP - contesting the elections under the banner of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) - secured 11 of its 19 seats after obtaining 53.77 percent of the 26,331 valid votes.
The Supreme Court dismisses a petition seeking postponement of elections to the local bodies in Batticaloa.
The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) unveils its power sharing proposals after 63 sessions carried out over 18 months.
The ruling UPFA coalition sign an agreement with the TMVP (formerly the Karuna Faction - now known as the Pillaiyan Faction) to contest the local government elections in the Eastern Province together.
The Supreme Court declares unlawful the 1987 merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces to form a single Tamil dominated North Eastern Province under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
President Jayewardene authorises the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces within a single North Eastern Province, through Section 37(1) of the Provincial Councils Act No. 42 of 1987.
The amendment included provisions for the establishment of a system of Provincial Councils, including in the North East. The amendment incorporated the provisions of the Official Languages Act 1987 declaring Tamil as an official language of Sri Lanka.
