PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

The Soulbury Constitution of 1947 introduced the Parliamentary System of government

to Sri Lanka (then famous as Ceylon the Soulbury constitution of constitutional reform
!as a""ointed by the #ritish government$ Lord Soulbury headed the commission !hich
included %rederick &ees and %rederick #orro!s$
Prior to the Soulbury Constitution the country !as administered according to the
recommendations of the Colebrooke 'Cameron commission in 1())$ *t established the
legislative and the e+ecutive commissions$ ,odifications !ere made from time to e+"and
these t!o councils$
*n 19)1 the -onoughmore commission !as a""ointed resulting in the grant of .niversal
/dult %ranchise the establishment of the State Council and the 0+ecutive Committee
System of the government$ #y the granting of the .niversal /dult %ranchise all citi1ens
above 1( years !ere granted the right to vote at the elections to the State Council$
The State Councils functioned from 19)1 to 1947$ ,embershi" of the State Council
consisted of 23 elected from 23 electoral districts4 ( nominated by the governor and the )
officers of the state namely4 the chief secretary4 financial secretary and the legal
secretary$ The members of the state council formed seven e+ecutive committees to deal
!ith the various functions of government$ The elected chairman of the committees "lus
the three officers of state com"rised the #oard of ,inisters$
0lections !ere held to the State Council in 19)1 and 19)5$ The third due in 1941 !as
"ost "honed due to the second !aged !ar$ The #oard of ,inisters of the seven chairman
and the three officers of the state !as the fore runner to the cabinet form of government
established since 1947 under the Soulbury Constitution$
FIRST PARLIAMENT 1947-1952
The state council !as re"laced by the first Parliament in 1947$ *t consisted of the Senate
and the 6ouse of &e"resentatives$ The senate com"rised)3 members7 12 nominated by
the 8overnor 8eneral and 12 nominated by the 6ouse of &e"resentatives$
The 6ouse of &e"resentatives !as to consist of 131 members7 92 elected from (9
electorates and 5 nominated to re"resent minorities or unre"resented interest$ 8eneral
election to elect the first "arliament !as held in 1947 august$
*t had many salient features vi1
Political "arties consisted for the first time$
0lection symbols re"resenting various "olitical "arties in "lace of cam"aign9 !ere
used for the first time
0lections !ere held on 19 days bet!een :) /ugust and :3
th
Se"tember 1947$$
%ive multi member constituencies !ere created ' Colombo Central () members4
/mbalangoda;#ala"itiya (: members4 #alangoda (: members4 <aduganna!a (:
members4 #adulla (: members$
=n >omination day :5
th
?uly 19474 )51 candidates handed in nominations$
*nde"endent candidate for Puttalam 6$ *smail !as declared as contested$
1(1 candidates contested as *nde"endents$
Party system had not rooted itself in this election as candidates from the same
"arty contested the same seat$
RESULTS- FIRST PARLIAMENT
PARTIES SEATS VOTES
.nited >ational Party ;4:; 72144):
Lanka Samasama@a Party ;13 ; :3443:3
Communist Party ; 3) ; 734))1
#olshevik Leninist Party ; 32; 11)419)
Tamil Congress ; 37; (:4449
Ceylon *ndian congress ; 35 ; 7:4:)3
*nde"endent grou"s ; :1; 24)4)(9
Labour Party ; 31; )(4 9):
Total Seats -95
Total n!"e#s o$ #e%&ste#e'
Votes ()*4+)145
Pe#,enta%e Polle' -1.91/
Three !omen contested7 only %lorence Senanayake (LSSP; <irelea !as elected
subseAuently after by elections$ <usuma 8oone!ardena and Tamara *langaratna
!ere elected$ /vissa!ella and <andy Sir %rancis ,ollamure (#alangoda !as elected
the s"eaker of the 6ouse of &e"resentatives$
.nited >ational Party received the largest number of seats (4: and its leader -$S
Senanayake !as invited to from the 8overnment by the 8overnor 8eneral4 Sir
,onck ,ason ,oore$ 6e !as s!orn in as Prime ,inister on :4th Se"tember 1947$
-r$>$, Perera !as chosen as the leader of the o""osition$
-$S Senanayake !ith his "artyBs 4: seats obtained the su""ort of a large number of
*nde"endent ,Ps4 the Tamil Congress and the Labour Party and !as able to run his
government !ith a comfortable ma@ority$
-$S SenanayakeBs cabinet consisted of S$C$&$- #andaranaike4 Sir ?ohn <otela!ala4
?$& ?aya!ardena4 -udley Senanayake4 Prof$ C$ Suntharalingam4 S$ Sittam"alam4 -r$
-$# $?ayah4 /$0 8oonesighe4 8$8 Ponnambalam4 Sir Lalitha &a@a"akse4 0$/
>uga!ela and Sir =liver 8oonetilleke among others$ S$C$&$- #andaranaike Auit the
government of -$S Senanayake on 13
th
?uly 1921 and founded the Sri Lanka %reedom
Party$

%ollo!ing the death of -$S Senanayake on ::
nd
of ,arch 192:4 his son in -udley
Senanayake the ,inistry of /griculture and Land became Prime ,inister$ 6e
dissolved "arliament in /"ril 192: and called for fresh elections$
SECON0 PARLIAMENT 1952-195-
There !ere 131 members$ )3) candidates handed in nominations on :(
th
/"ril 192:$
0lections !ere on 4 days bet!een ,ay :4
th
and )3th )53 candidates contested$
RESULTS 1SECON0 PARLIAMENT
PARTIES SEATS VOTES
.nited >ational Party; 24; 143:54532
Sri Lanka %reedom Party; 39; )514:23

Lanka Samasama@a Party; 39; )324 11)

Communist PartyD .LSSP; 34; 1)44 2:(
Tamil Congress; 34; 54421:
%ederal Party; 3:; 424 ))1
Labour Party; 31; :74 395
*nde"endent 8rou"s; 1:; ):54 7()
Total Seats- 95
Total N!"e# o$
#e%&ste#e' 2otes - 2) 99*) 912
Pe#,enta%e Polle'- 77.+2/
-udley Senanayake received a landslide victory and !as s!orn as a Prime ,inister$
S$C$&$- #andaranaike !as chosen as the leader of the o""osition$ -uring the second
"arliament -udley Senanayake resigned as Prime ,inister$ =n 1)
th
=ctober 192) due to
ill health and Sir ?ohn <otela!ala the leader of the 6ouse and ,inister of Trans"ort and
Corks became Prime ,inister$ Sir /lbert Peris !as elected as s"eaker$ Sir @ohn
<otela!ala decided to seek a mandate from the "eo"le on the issue of making of Sinhala
as the official language and dissolved the "arliament on (
th
%ebruary 1925$ The general
election for the third "arliament !as held in /"ril 1925$
T3IR0 PARLIAMENT 195--19-* 4MARC35
The language issue took "rominence in the election to the third "arliament$
S$C$&$-#andaranaike "ro"osed that sinhala language to be made the official language$
The .nited >ational Party too at its annual sessions held in <elaniya agreed to the same$
>ominations took "lace on (
th
,arch 1925$ 0lections !ere held on 2
th
4 7
th
and 13
th
1925$
:21 candidates contested in this election$ The .nited >ational Party had to face a
coalition of "arties under the leadershi" of S$C$&$- #andaranaike of the Sri Lanka
%reedom Party$
The Srilanka %reedom Party of S$C$&$- #andaranaike4 the vi"lavakari Sama Sama@a
Party of Phili" 8une!ardene4 Sinhala #hasha Peramuna of C$-ahanayake formed an
alliance$ This !as the ,aha@ana 0ksath Peramuna$ / no 'contest;"act !as agreed !ith
the Lanka Sama Sama@a Party and the Communist Party$ /t the election4 S$C$&$-
#andaranaikeBs ,aha@ana 0ksath Peramuna obtained a landslide victory$
RESULTS-T3IR0 PARLIAMENT
PARTIES SEATS
,aha@ana 0ksath Peramuna ;14;
Lanka Sama Sama@a Party ;3);
Communist Party ;13;
%ederal Party ;3(;
.nited >ational Party ;3(;
/ll Ceylon Tamil Congress ;31;
*nde"endent 8rou"s ;3(;
Total Seats -95
Total Re%&ste#e' Votes -()4-4)159
Pe#,enta%e Polle' - 7-.45/
The ruling .>P !as reduced to a "altry (seats$ S$C$&$- #andaranaike became Prime
,inister$ -r$ >$, Perera !as the leader of the o""osition Phili" 8une!ardene and
Cilliam de Silva acce"ted ministerial "ortfolio$ C$ -hanayake !as minister of
education$ &$8 Senanayake !as the minister of trade and commerce$
This third "arliament had only 133 members and &$8 Senanayake !as elected to
<elaniya and -ambadeniya seats$ 6e defeated ?$& ?aya!ardena in <elaniya$ =f the .>P
ministers only Sir ?ohn <otela!ala and ,$- #anda !on at the election$ 6$S *smail !as
elected s"eaker !ithout contest$
The election in 1925 brought about a revolutionary change in the "olitical;socio;
economic and cultural s"heres of the country$ S$C$&$- #andaranaike !as claimed to
have ushered in the era of the common man in 1925 and his government !as called the
E/"e /ndu!aF$
The sinhala only act !as "assed during this "arliament$ Some of the other land marks
!ere nationali1ation of bus services4 introduction of the "addy land act and em"loyees
"rovident fund scheme$
The LSSP and CP organi1ed strikes on a regular basis$ %actions and rivalry !ithin the
government resulted in the resignation of ministers Phili" 8una!ardena and Cilliam de
Silva of the LSSP$
=n :2
th
=ctober 1929 Prime ,inister #andaranaike !as shot dead$ C$ -ahanayake
became the "rime minister$ Conflicts and rivalries !ithin the government resulted in
-ahanayake getting rid of many SL%P ministers$
Prime ,inister -ahanayake dissolved the third "arliament on )
rd
-ecember 1929$ 6e
formed his o!n "arty the Lanka Pra@athanthravadi Pakshaya (LPP and contested the
election !hich !as held on 19
th
,arch$

FOURT3 PARLIAMENT 4MARC3 19-*- 6ULY 19-*5
This "arliament had 127 members$ 121 members elected from 142 electorates and the
si+th nominated members$ 0lections !ere held on a single day on 19
th
,arch 1953$
The membershi" of the fourth "arliament !as increased on the recommendation of the
-elimitation Commission of 1929$ Com"rising of Calter Thalagoda"itiya4 8$C$
Thambiyah and ,$/$S ,arikkar$
The multimember constituencies !ere Colombo Central (3)4 Colombo South (3:4
#atticaloa (3:4 ,utur (3:4 and /kurana (3:$ 4
th
?anuary 1953 !as the nomination day
and (99 candidates contested$
The .>P !ith 23 seats !as the single largest "arty under the leadershi" of -udley
Senanayake$ Sri Lanka %reedom Party led by C$P -e Silva obtained 45 seats7 the ne!
"arties in the fray !ere LPP of C$ -ahanayake4 the Sama@a!adi ,aha@ana Peramuna led
by *$,$&$/ *rayagolla4 the ?athikaGimukthi Peramuna of <$,$P &a@aratne and #osat
#andaranaike Peramuna of S$- #andaranaike$ Prime ,inister C$ -ahanayake !as
defeated in 8alle by .>PBs /beygoona!ardane$
RESULTS-FOURT3 PARLIAMENT
PARTIES SEATS VOTES
.nited >ational Party ; 23; 93(4995
Sri Lanka %reedom Party ;45; 54(4394
%ederal Party ;12; 175449:
,aha@ana 0ksath Peramuna ;13; ):24():
Lanka Sama Sama@a Party ;13; ):)4)2:
Lanka Pra@athanthravadi Pakshaya ;34; 1:24)44
Communist Party ;3); 1414(27
?athika Gimukthi Peramuna ;3:; 114:31
Sama@a!adi ,aha@ana Peramuna ;31; :4414)
Sri Lanka ?athika Peramuna ;31; 114112
/ll Ceylon Tamil Congress ;31; )(4:72
#osat #andaranaike Peramuna ;31; 94749
*nde"endent 8rou"s ;37; :374((1
Total Me!"e#s 1 151
Total n!"e# o$ #e%&ste#e' 2otes 1 ()724)5*7
Pe#,enta%e Polle'- +*.9(/
-udley Senanayake !as s!orn in as Prime ,inister on :1
st
,arch 1953$ 8overnmentBs
nominee for the s"eaker "ost Sir /lbert Peris !as defeated by the o""osition candidate
T$# Subasinghe$ -udley SenanayakeHs government !as defeated on the vote of the
s"eech from the throne (5 voting against and 51 for$ Prime ,inister -udley
recommended dissolution to the 8overnor 8eneral Sir =liver 8oonetilleke and the
"arliament !as dissolved on :)
rd
/"ril 1953$
FIFT3 PARLIAMENT 419-* 6ULY-19-4 0ECEM7ER5
The :3
th
,ay 1953 !as the day of nomination$ 0lection !as held on :3
th
?uly 1953$ )9)
candidates tried for 121 seats$ SL%P leader C$P -e Silva ste""ed do!n in favor of
Sirimavo #andaranaike4 !ife of slain Prime ,inister S$C$&$- #andaranaike$
The LSSP and Communist Party singed a no;contest;"act !ith the SL%P$ The SL%P
scored a landslide victory !inning 72 seats$ =n :1
st
?uly 1953 ,rs$ Sirimavo
#andaranaike !as s!orn as the Prime ,inister being thus the first !omen Prime
,inister of the !orld$ -udley Senanayake became the leader of the o""osition &$S
Pel"ola !as unanimously elected the s"eaker$
Since ,rs$ #andaranaike did not contest a seat at the election4 she !as s!orn as a senator
in accordance !ith the constitution of the land$ Several far reaching legislation !ere
"assed during this$ Parliament namely taking over of assisted schools by the government4
nationali1ation of insurance4 nationali1ation of the bank of Ceylon and the im"ort and
distribution of "etroleum$ 6ugh %ernando succeeded &$S Pel"ola as s"eaker in ?anuary
1954$ *t !as during this "arliament on 11
th
?une 1954 that ,rs$ #andaranaike entered into
a coalition !ith the LSSP under -r$ >$, Perera$
-r$ >$, Perera as the minister of %inance4 /nil ,odisinghe as the minister of Trans"ort
and Cholomondly 8oone!ardene minister of Public Corks of the LSSP took office as
minister in the coalition government$
This coalition government !as short lived as it !as defeated in the throne s"eech on 14
th

-ecember 1954$The coalition governmentBs main "ro"osal on the throne s"eech !as the
take over of the /ssociate >e!s"a"ers of Ceylon Ltd$ (Lake 6ouse by the government$
This !as o""osed by many founder members of the SL%P led by ,inister C$P -e Silva$
The voting !as 7) for and 74 against$ Parliament !as dissolved on 17
th
-ecember 1954$
RESULTS 1 FIFT3 PARLIAMENT
PARTIES SEATS VOTES
Srilanka %reedom Party ;72; 143::4124
Lanka Sama Sama@a Party ;1:; ::)499)
Communist Party ;34; 934:19
.nited >ational Party ;)3; 14 14)4:93
%ederal Party ;15; :1(472)
?athika Gimukthi Peramuna ;3:; 1443)3
/ll Ceylon Tamil Congress ;31; 454(3)
*nde"endent 8rou"s ;35; 14342::
,aha@ana 0ksath Peramuna ;3); 13:4())
Lanka Pra@athanthravadi Pakshaya ;3:; :94193
Total Seats- 151
Total n!"e# o$ #e%&ste#e' 2otes-()724)5*7
Pe#,enta%e 8olle'-+1.7/

SI9T3 PARLIAMENT 419-5-197*5
The nomination day !as on the 11
th
?anuary 1952$ Total membershi" !as 127$ This
included 5 nominated members$ Total electorates !ere 142$ 0lections !ere held on ::
nd

,arch 1952 for the first time all above 1( years !ere eligible to vote$ The SL%P4 LSSP
and CP entered into a no;contest;"act9 and contested$ C$P -e Silva ne!ly formed the Sri
Lanka Socialist %reedom Party !as !ith the .>P$
/fter the general election .>P4 %ederal Party4 ,aha@ana 0ksath Peramuna4 Sri Lanka
%reedom Socialist Party4 ?athika Gimukthi Peramuna4 /ll Ceylon Tamil Congress and
Ceylon CorkerBs Congress @oined together to form the national government$
-udley Senanayke !as s!orn as the Prime ,inister$ ,rs$ Sirirmavo #andaranaike
became the leader of the o""osition$ Sir /lbert Peris !as elected s"eaker and on his death
in 1957 Shirley Corea became the s"eaker$
?$&$?aya!ardena .>P and #ernad Soysa LSSP !ere returned uncontested for the
Colombo South electorate$ Senator ,$Thiruchelvam of the %ederal "arty took office as
minister of local government4 Phili" 8une!ardena7 the leader of ,0P !as the minister of
lands$ The %ederal "arty !ith dre! from the national government in 195($ ,inister
Thiruchelvam resigned his "ost$ /fter five years "arliament !as dissolved on :2
th
,arch
1973 and nominations !ere held on :)
rd
/"ril1973$ Chen the s"eaker Sir /lbert Peris
died in Se"tember 19574 Shirly Corea !as elected as s"eaker$
RESULTS- SI9T3 PARLIAMENT
PARTIES SEATS VOTES
.>P ;55; 1427941(1
%ederal Party ;14; :1749(5
Sri Lanka %reedom Party ;32; 1:949(5
,0P ;31; 1134)((
?athika Gimukthi Peramuna ;31; 1(4791
/ll Ceylon Tamil Congress ;3); 9(47:5
SL%P ;41; 14::54())
LSSP ;13; )3:4392
CP (,osco! ;34; 1394744
*nde"endent 8rou"s ;35; :)74(32
Total Seats- 151
Total n!"e# o$ #e%&ste#e' 2ote#s -4)71*)++7
Pe#,enta%e 8olle'- +-.1/