EXPLAINED: Sri Lankan parliamentary electoral system

History

Sri Lanka is often referred to as Asia’s oldest democracy, particularly in terms of universal suffrage. In 1931, with the Donoughmore Constitution, every adult citizen in Sri Lanka was granted the right to vote. It was the only constitution in the British Empire (outside the "white" dominions of Australia, South Africa, and Canada) that allowed general elections with adult universal suffrage. For the first time, a "dependent" non-Caucasian country within the Western European empires was given one-person, one-vote and the power to control its domestic affairs.

Sri Lanka's journey toward democracy began in 1931 with the introduction of universal suffrage under the Donoughmore Constitution. Over the following decades, the country experienced significant political changes, culminating in the transformative 1977 election. By then, the SLFP government had become deeply unpopular, and the United National Party (UNP), led by J. R. Jayewardene, secured a historic landslide victory under the first-past-the-post system. The UNP won 140 out of 168 seats in Parliament, nearly five-sixths of the total, while the SLFP, with only 8 seats, became the third-largest party. Meanwhile, the Tamil United Liberation Front, with 18 seats, emerged as the Official Opposition. This election marked a major turning point for the country, laying the groundwork for significant constitutional and economic reforms.

After the election, J. R. Jayewardene became Prime Minister and swiftly amended the 1972 Constitution to create an Executive Presidency. The amendment automatically elevated him to the newly established post of President. On 31 August 1978, a new Constitution was passed, which was officially promulgated on 7 September 1978. This new Constitution provided for a unicameral parliament and enshrined the role of an Executive President. It also introduced proportional representation for parliamentary elections, which initially included 196 members. Later, the Fourteenth Amendment in 1988 increased the number of Members of Parliament to 225, including 29 National List members.

Allocation of Seats ( Selected vs Elected)

Under the current electoral system, 196 Members of Parliament are elected from 22 multi-member electoral districts using the Largest Remainder Method, also known as the Hare Quota. The remaining 29 seats, known as the National List, are allocated to contesting parties and independent groups based on their proportion of the national vote.

Elected MPs

Of the first 196 seats, 160 were distributed among the 22 electoral districts proportionally based on the number of registered voters in each district. The remaining 36 seats were equally divided among the 9 provinces, with each province receiving 4 additional seats, in addition to the seats allocated through proportional distribution.

According to Article 95 of the Constitution, the Delimitation Commission is the authorized body responsible for determining how many seats each district receives. In 1978, the Commission decided to allocate the seats as follows:

• Central Province - Kandy 1; Matale 1; Nuwara Eliya 2.
• Eastern Province - Ampara 2; Batticaloa 1; Trincomalee 1.
• Northern Province - Jaffna 1, Vanni 3.
• North Central Province - Anuradhapura 2, Polonnaruwa 2.
• North Western Province - Kurunegala 2, Puttalam 2
• Sabaragamuwa Province - Kegalla 2; Ratnapura 2.
• Southern Province - Galle 1, Matara 1; Hambantota 2.
• Uva Province - Badulla 2; Monaragala 2.
• Western Province - Colombo 2; Gampaha 1; Kalutara 1.

This province-based allocation leads to a non-proportional distribution of seats among the voters. The value of a single vote in a less populated area is greater than the value of a vote in a densely populated area.