Two smaller parties, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil Democratic National Alliance also won 1 seat each.

This was done following demands of Tamil political parties, who consider the north and east of Sri Lanka as their "traditional homeland", and wanted to administer the area as a single entity, against the protests of some members of the Sinhalese and Muslim communities.

Varatharaja Perumal was appointed Chief Minister by the victorious EPRLF, who also announced that they would form a ruling coalition with the ENDLF.

As the ceasefire broke down in mid-2006, the government launched a major military offensive to clear the Eastern Province of the LTTE.

The Sri Lankan military fully achieving this objective in July 2007,[9] and plans were immediately drawn up to hold local elections for the area.

[10] Elections were however delayed due to the unstable situation on the ground, as it was the first time in 14 years that some parts of the province came under the control of the government.

Voting to select members for the provincial councils took place between 7:00am and 4:00pm Sri Lankan time, at 1070 polling stations throughout the Eastern Province.

[16] On April 2, the SLMC announced they would contest the elections with the UNP,[18] under the United National Party banner and the “elephant” symbol.

In a surprise move, SLMC leader and Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, along with 2 other SLMC MPs, Party Chairman Basheer Segudawood and General Secretary Hasen Ali also resigned from their seats in the national parliament on April 2, and announced they would be contesting in the Provincial Council Elections.

[25] According to official results, the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance gained a majority in the Provincial Council, which was seen as a strike against the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Notes: The United National Party, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna claimed that many incidents of election irregularities such as vote rigging was carried out by members of the United People's Freedom Alliance and the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal during election day.

[31][32][33] The UNP and the SLMC has made a petition challenging the result of Ampara district PC to the supreme court.