Provincial Councils were set up in Sri Lanka for the first time in terms of 13th Amendment to the Constitution and the Provincial Councils Act. No. 42 of 1987. Elections were held to all the eight Provincial Councils for the first time in 1988. The elected North East Provincial Council (NEPC) was constituted on 5th December 1988. It had only a brief existence as it was dissolved in June 1990. As election to the North East Provincial Council has not been held thereafter it continued to be administered under the direction of the Hon. Governor of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. After a period of about twenty years, in view of the judgment of the Supreme Court of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on 16th October 2006, the North East Provincial administration has been de-merged into two viz: Northern Provincial administration and Eastern Provincial administration. His Excellency the President has appointed Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama USP, NDC, PSC as the Acting Governor for the Northern Province with effect from 22.12.2006. The Chief Secretary, Ministries and Departments for NPC started functioning from 01.01.2007.