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Parliamentary elections have been held in Sri Lanka since the first in 1947, under three different constitutions: theSoulbury Constitution, the1972 Constitution, and the currently enforced1978 Constitution. Sixteen parliamentary elections have been held up to and including the 2020 election. The seventeenth is scheduled for 14 November 2024.[1]
The currentParliament of Sri Lanka has 225members elected for a five-year term. 196 members are elected from 22 multi-seatconstituencies through anopen listproportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold; voters can rank up to three candidates on the party list they vote for. The other 29 seats are elected from a national list, with list members appointed by party secretaries and seats allocated according to the island-wide proportional vote the party obtains.[2]
Every proclamation dissolving parliament must be published inThe Sri Lanka Gazette and must specify the nomination period and the date of the election. The first meeting of the new parliament must occur within three months of the previous parliament's dissolution.[3]
In 1833 theColebrooke-Cameron Commission created theLegislative Council of Ceylon, the first step in representative government inBritish Ceylon. Initially this council consisted of 16 members which included theBritish Governor, the 5 appointed members of theExecutive Council of Ceylon, 4 other government officials, and 6 appointed unofficial members. In 1889 the number of appointed unofficial members was increased to 8.[4]
| Election year | Legislative Council | Total seats | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911[a] | 1st | 21 | 11 official and 10 non-official members. Of the non-official members, 6 were appointed by the governor and the remaining 4 were elected. |
| 1917 | 2nd | ||
| 1921[b] | 3rd | 37 | 14 official and 23 unofficial members. Of the non-official members, 4 were appointed by the governor and the remaining 19 were elected. |
| 1924[c] | 4th | 49 | 12 official and 37 unofficial members. Of the non-official members, 8 were appointed by the governor and the remaining 29 were elected. |
| State Council | Date of | Duration | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nomination | Election | First meeting | Dissolved | ||
| 1st | 4 May 1931 | 13–20 June 1931[d] | 6 July 1931 | 7 December 1935 | 4 years, 5 months and 1 day |
| 2nd | 15 January 1936 | 22 February – 7 March 1936[e] | 16 March 1936 | 4 July 1947 | 11 years, 3 months and 18 days |
| Election year | State Council | Total seats | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 1st | 58 | The State Council of Ceylon was theunicameral legislature ofCeylon (nowSri Lanka), established in 1931 by theDonoughmore Constitution. It introduceduniversal adult franchise to the colony for the first time, replacing theLegislative Council of Ceylon, the original legislative body. |
| 1936 | 2nd |
| Parliament | Date of | Duration | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nomination | Election | First meeting | Dissolved | ||
| 1st | 26 July 1947 | 23 August – 20 September 1947[f] | 14 October 1947 | 8 April 1952 | 4 years, 177 days |
| 2nd | 28 April 1952 | 24–30 May 1952[g] | 9 June 1952 | 18 February 1956 | 3 years, 254 days |
| 3rd | 8 March 1956 | 5–10 April 1956[h] | 19 April 1956 | 5 December 1959 | 3 years, 230 days |
| 4th | 4 January 1960 | 19 March 1960 | 30 March 1960 | 23 April 1960 | 24 days |
| 5th | 20 May 1960 | 20 July 1960 | 5 August 1960 | 17 December 1964 | 4 years, 134 days |
| 6th | 11 January 1965 | 22 March 1965 | 5 April 1965 | 25 March 1970 | 4 years, 354 days |
| 7th | 23 April 1970 | 27 May 1970 | 7 June 1970 | — | 1 year, 350 days |
| With the promulgation of the1972 Constitution on 22 May 1972, the 1st National State Assembly superseded the 7th Parliament of Ceylon. | |||||
| 1st | — | — | 22 May 1972 | 18 May 1977 | 4 years, 361 days |
| 2nd | 6 June 1977 | 21 July 1977 | 4 August 1977 | — | 1 year, 34 days |
| With the promulgation of the1978 Constitution on 7 September 1978, the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka (1st Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) superseded the 2nd National State Assembly. | |||||
| The1982 referendum on extending the parliamentary term by six years was held in Sri Lanka on 22 December 1982. Through the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, the term of the 8th Parliament was extended until 4 August 1989. | |||||
| 8th | — | — | 7 September 1978 | 20 December 1988 | 10 years, 104 days |
| 9th | 6 January 1989 | 15 February 1989 | 9 March 1989 | 24 June 1994 | 5 years, 107 days |
| 10th | 11 July 1994 | 16 August 1994 | 25 August 1994 | 18 August 2000 | 5 years, 359 days |
| 11th | 28 August – 4 September 2000 | 10 October 2000 | 18 October 2000 | 10 October 2001 | 357 days |
| 12th | 20–27 October 2001 | 5 December 2001 | 19 December 2001 | 7 February 2004 | 2 years, 50 days |
| 13th | 17–24 February 2004 | 2 April 2004 | 22 April 2004 | 9 February 2010 | 5 years, 293 days |
| 14th | 19–26 February 2010 | 8 and 20 April 2010 | 22 April 2010 | 26 June 2015 | 5 years, 65 days |
| 15th | 6–13 July 2015 | 17 August 2015 | 1 September 2015 | 2 March 2020 | 4 years, 183 days |
| 16th | 12–19 March 2020 | 5 August 2020 | 20 August 2020 | 24 September 2024 | 4 years, 35 days |
| 17th | 4–11 October 2024 | 14 November 2024 | 21 November 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 5 days |
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