Thursday Sep 19, 2024
Thursday Sep 19, 2024
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The first change came after the General Election in 1970 when the United Front (SLFP, LSSP and CP), which had agreed on a Common Program while in the Opposition, secured 116 seats in the 151-member House of Representatives commanding a two-thirds majority. The three parties contested the election separately under a no-contest pact.
Eight parties, out of 15, were recognised by the Elections Commissioner for the May 1970 general election. A total of 441 candidates handed in nominations on 23 April. Of them 305 were from political parties and the balance 136 were independents. The deposit of a party candidate was further reduced to Rs. 250 (from Rs. 500) while an independent candidate had to pay Rs. 1,000.
At the 27 May election, the ruling party, the UNP, could muster only 17 seats although 130 candidates contested. Eleven of the 17 ministers were defeated.
The SLFP (91 of 198), LSSP (19-23), Federal Party (13-129), CP (6-9) and Tamil Congress (3-12) won seats. Only two independents were returned. The voter turnout was 85.2%, higher than the 1965 figure of 92.1%.
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was invited to form the government. J.R. Jayewardene became Leader of the Opposition following the decision of Dudley Senanayake to take a back seat.
Constituent Assembly
The Government decided to adopt a new Constitution and the MPs formed themselves into a Constituent Assembly with Speaker Stanley Tillekeratne as Chairman. The Constituent Assembly was formed on 19 July 1970 on a resolution proposed by the Prime Minister at a meeting of MPs at Navarangahala. Dr. Colvin R. de Silva (LSSP) drafted the new Constitution as Minister of Constitutional Affairs.
On 22 May 1972, the new Republican Constitution was adopted. The House of Representatives was replaced by the National State Assembly, the single House representing the people. The Senate, the Upper House set up on the recommendation of the Soulbury Commission was abolished in October 1971.
An insurgent movement engineered by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) shook the Government in March 1971. However, the Government was able to crush it.
Dudley Senanayake, who served three terms as Prime Minister, died on 13 April 1973 and J.R. Jayewardene became the Leader of the UNP.
The Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government continued with its socialist economic policies. The highlights were the nationalisation of industries, land reforms and restriction of free enterprise and foreign exchange dealings.
The global oil crisis in 1973 led to nationwide rationing and decline in economic activities. There was considerable economic austerity and many consumer goods were in short supply.
A crisis within the Government saw the removal of three LSSP ministers – Dr. N.M. Perera (Finance), Dr. Colvin R. de Silva (Plantation Industry and Constitutional Affairs) and Leslie Gunewardene (Transport) on 2 September 1975.
Meanwhile, the term of the National State Assembly was extended from the normal five years to seven years. Several SLFP members quit after 1975 and when the Communist Party MPs left in February 1977, the Government found it difficult to continue.
The National State Assembly was dissolved on 18 May 1977 and the general election fixed for 21 July.
More seats and MPs
The 1977 general election was held based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission appointed in 1974. Its members were Noel Tittawela, Manicam Sivanatahan and H.M.S. Farouque with Elections Commissioner E.F. Dias Abeysinghe as Secretary.
The number of electorates increased to 160 returning 168 members (from 145 electing 151 members). Six multi-member constituencies were created – Combo Central and Nuwara Eliya/Maskeliya electing three members each and Beruwela, Harispattu, Batticaloa and Pottuvil two members each.
This was in accordance with the Constitutional provision that where there were substantial concentration of citizens belonging to minority racial groups, multi-member seats can be created to render possible the representation of such groups. The groups referred to were the Ceylon Moors, Ceylon Tamils and citizens of Indian origin.
Names of nine electorates were changed. The new names were Kaduwela (for Kottawa), Harispattu (Akurana), Patha Dumbara (Wattegama), Uda Dumbara (Minipe), Mahanuwara (Kandy), Manipay (Uduvil), Hali Ela (Soranatota), Deraniyagala (Dehiowita) and Eheliyagoda (Kiriella). In some the boundaries were also changed.
A total of 756 candidates handed in nominations. They were from seven recognised political parties and 295 independents. The number of voters had increased by 162,557 (1970) to 6,667,598. There were 6,312 polling booths (one per 1,000 voters) of which 2,719 were reserved for females. Poll cards were sent to all voters seven days prior to the election.
The UNP recorded the finest-ever victory secured by any party since Independence when it won 140 seats. The party had put forward 154 candidates. The Tamil Liberation United Front (TULF) was second with 18 (out of 24) and the ruling SLFP having fielded 14 got only eight seats. The Ceylon Workers Congress (1 of 2) was the only other party to secure a seat with the Leftist parties LSSP (82) and CP (25) as well as the MEP (27) failing to win a single seat. Only one independent was returned out of 295.
The voter turnout was a record 93.6%.
UNP Leader J.R. Jayewardene became Prime Minister while TULF Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam became Leader of the Opposition. Sirimavo Bandaranaike retained the Attangalla seat.
Executive presidency
Commanding a five-sixth majority, an Amendment to the 1972 Constitution was passed on 4 October 1977 to establish an executive presidency with Prime Minister J.R. Jayewardene becoming the first Executive President. With the swearing in of the Executive President on 4 February 1978, William Gopallawa, who was the titular Head of State as the Non-Executive President, bowed out gracefully.
The Government set about to change the Constitution to give the country what has been termed a ‘Gaullist system’ based on the Constitution of the Fifth French Republic, with an executive presidency. The Executive President, elected for six years, became the Head of State and the Government, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He appointed the Prime Minister, who was no longer head of government, and the Cabinet.
The President was to be elected for a period six years with the proviso that the incumbent President could call for an election after completing four years in office. Members of Parliament were also to be elected for a period of six years at a separate election. They were to be elected under a system of proportional representation in place of the first-past-the-post system practised under the Westminster style.
The new Constitution providing for a unicameral Parliament and an Executive President was passed on 31 August 1978. It was promulgated and came into operation on 7 September 1978, repealing and replacing the 1972 Constitution. The country was renamed the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
Provision was made for the incumbent President to continue in office for a period of six years from 4 February 1978. R. Premadasa had become Prime Minister following JRJ assuming office as Executive President.
President JRJ liberalised the Sri Lankan economy in late 1977, moving away from the heavily-regulated State-dominated economic structure that prevailed. The policy orientation was towards a private sector-led, export-oriented development strategy with emphasis on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). A generous incentive package was announced to encourage FDIs.
The Greater Colombo Economic Commission was established by statute in 1978, with powers necessary for the development and resurgence of the economy. This enabled the setting up of Free Trade Zones (FTZs) towards export promotion. The Katunayake FTZ was the first to be opened, in 1978.
The policy since the early 1960s that restricted foreign banks from opening branches in Sri Lanka was changed in 1977 and 10 new foreign banks opened branches in 1979 and 1980 alone.
A public investment program was introduced with the launch of the accelerated Mahaweli Program comprising five major irrigation projects couple with a Mahaweli Resettlement Housing Program.
In October 1980, Sirimavo Bandaranaike was expelled from Parliament and banned from holding public office for seven years. This was consequent to a Presidential Commission sustaining charges of misuse of office while being the Prime Minister, which were refuted by her on the basis that it was an attempt of political victimisation.
President JRJ called for a presidential election after four years and nominations were called on 17 September 1982.
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