Tyronne Fernando to be sworn in as NE Governor

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 December 2004, 12:18 GMT]
Mr.Tyronne Fernando, former Foreign Minister in the earlier United National Front (UNF) government is to be sworn in as fourth Governor of the Tamil dominated North-East Province on Monday, 6th December, before Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge. He was scheduled to take oaths Friday but the event was put off for Monday, provincial council ministry sources said.

Major General (retired) Asoka Jayawardene who held the post of NE Governor till November 30 assumed duties as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on December 1, replacing Mr.Cyril Herat.

Mr.Cyril Heart, a former Inspector General of Police relinquished his duties on November 30th. President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge appointed Mr.Cyril Herat as MoD Secretary following the take over of three key ministries including the Defence Ministry from the UNF government in October last year, sources said.

Mr.Tyronne Fernando who aspired to contest for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UNO), while holding the post of Foreign Minister left the United National Party (UNP) when it was ousted from power in the April 2nd general election. He did not get enough preferential votes to win a parliament seat and also was not considered by the UNP hierarchy for a national MP post thereafter. Those developments led him to leave the UNP, political sources said.

Lt General Nalin Seneviratne was the first Governor of the North East under the thirteenth amendment to the constitution, which paved way for the introduction of the Provincial Council system in Sri Lanka. The Provincial Council system was introduced as a step to solve the Tamil question under the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement in 1987. However except in the northeast, in the other provinces elected administrations are functioning. But the NEPC, which was dissolved in 1989 by the then President Mr.R.Premadasa, is being administered by the central government through its Governor.