2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka are scheduled to be held on 5 August 2020.[1][2]

16th Sri Lankan parliamentary election
5 August 2020
All 225 seats to the Parliament of Sri Lanka
113 seats are needed for a majority
 
Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe Mahinda Rajapaksa Sajith Premadasa
Party United National Party Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Leader since 1994 2019 2020
Leader's seat Colombo District Kurunegala District Colombo District
Last election 106[lower-alpha 1] 95[lower-alpha 2] New Party
Seats needed 7 18 113
 
Leader R. Sampanthan Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
Party Tamil National Alliance National People's Power
Leader since 2001 2019
Leader's seat Trincomalee District Colombo District
Last election 16 6[lower-alpha 3]
Seats needed 97 107
Incumbent Prime Minister

Mahinda Rajapaksa
United People's Freedom Alliance

In November 2018, the date was briefly moved forward by more than a year to 5 January 2019 due to President Maithripala Sirisena dissolving parliament during a constitutional crisis and calling for a snap election.[3] The Supreme Court later suspended the dissolution and ordered a halt to the snap election, effectively moving the election's date back to 2020.[4]

On 19 March, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya revealed that the election will be postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] Sri Lankan government initially insisted that scheduled forthcoming the election would proceed as planned on 25 April despite the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, and the authorities banned election rallies and meetings.[7] During the video conference with SAARC leaders, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa initially confirmed that the parliamentary elections would be held as scheduled.[8] Even the presidents comments holding the elections as scheduled, the elections commission in Sri lanka put off the date to 20 June 2020, using its powers. [9], making a crisis between the presidents office and the constitutions, and the matter going to the courts. [10][11]

On 10 June 2020, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya confirmed that the postponed parliamentary elections will be held on 5 August 2020 with strict health measures and guidelines.[12][13][14]

Timeline
2018
  • 9 November 2018 – President Maithripala Sirisena dissolves parliament and calls general elections to be held on 5 January 2019.[15]
  • 13 December 2018 – The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ruled unanimously that President Maithripala Sirisena's order to dissolve Parliament and hold new elections was unconstitutional.[16]
  • 16 December 2018 – Ranil Wickramasinghe was sworn back as Prime Minister after the Supreme Court ruled that Mahinda Rajapaksa can not act as Prime Minister.[17][18]
2019
  • 21 November 2019 – Incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe resigns and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appoint his brother Mahinda Rajapakse as the new PM.[19] as an attempt to get a 2/3 majority to hold the elections fails.
2020
  • 30 January 2020 – United National Party working committee approves Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa as its Prime Minister candidate.[20]
  • 10 February 2020 – Leader of the opposition Sajith Premadasa forms a new alliance called Samagi Jana Balawegaya.[21]
  • 17 February 2020 – Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance registered under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena named as chairperson.[22]
  • 3 March 2020– President dissolved Parliament, elections on 25 April 2020 and nominations end 18 March.[23]
  • 19 March 2020 – Election Commission postpone the elections without announcing a new date due to COVID −19 pandamic.[24]
  • 3 April 2020 – Elections Commission write to the president asking him to see advise for a new date or make an alternative since they are unable to hold the elections as per presidents gazzate.[25]
  • 9 April 2020 – President's Secretary PB Jayasundara response to the commission that president will not get any advice from the courts on the elections, and it is the commissions' responsibility to hold the elections, warning of Constitutional Crisis.[26]
  • 20 April 2020 – Election Commission of Sri Lanka declared 20 June 2020 as the date of elections, after a member of commission Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole object to hold the election on 28 May 2020 with the government influence. [27] [28]
  • 5 May 2020 – newspaper Editor Victor Ivan and seven others filed a Fundamental Rights petition in Supreme Court seeking an order quashing the Extraordinary Gazette notification declaring the General Election on 20 June.[29]
  • 6 May 2020– Samagi Jana Balawegaya files a Fundamental Rights petition challenging the Gazette notification issued by the Elections Commission declaring the General Election to be held on 20 June.[30]
  • 9 May 2020 – Champika Ranawaka of Jathika Hela Urumaya and Kumara Welgama of New Sri Lanka freedom Party files Fundamental Rights petition challenging the Gazette notification issued by the Elections Commission declaring the General Election to be held on 20 June.[31]
  • 18 May 2020 – Supreme Court's 5 member judge bench started hearing 8 petitions against the 20 June general election date.[32]
  • 20 May 2020 – Elections Commission inform the Supreme court that 20 June fix date is no longer a possible date for the election.[33]
  • 22 May 2020 – Attorney General requests the supreme court to dismiss petitions submitted in relation to the general election without hearings[34]
  • 2 June 2020 – The Supreme Court dismissed all Fundamental Rights petitions filed and denied granting leave to proceed with all petitions.[35]
  • 10 June 2020 – Election Commission announces 5 August 2020, as the new date of elections.

Background

During the constitutional crisis in 2018, Sirisena dissolved parliament and ordered a snap election after his nominee for Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, failed to gain a majority in Parliament to back his nomination.[3]

However, after the constitutionality of the dissolution was challenged before Sri Lanka's Supreme Court, the dissolution was suspended, and the snap election was put on hold while the court case was ongoing. On 13 December 2018, the Supreme Court ruled the dissolution of the parliament unconstitutional, moving the election back to its original date.[36]

COVID-19

On 19 March 2020, Sri Lanka reported an increase in COVID-19 pandemic, but the government went ahead with the nominations until 18 March 2020, to close nominations to the elections. [37]On 19 March soon after the nominations ended, the elections commission with its powers postpone the elections.[24] 25 April 2020 date of postponed by the elections commission until 20 June 2020 due to the virus.

Electoral system

196 MPs were elected from 22 multi-member electoral districts using the D'Hondt method with an open list, a proportional representation system.[38][39] The remaining 29 seats were allocated to contesting parties and independent groups in proportion to their share of the national vote.[40][41]

Notes
  1. Represents seats won by the now defunct United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) at the 2015 parliamentary election.
  2. Represents seats won by the now defunct United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at the 2015 parliamentary election.
  3. Represents seats won by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at the 2015 parliamentary election.

References
  1. "Sri Lankan parliament dissolved; elections set for April". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  2. "General Election will be held on June 20". MSN.
  3. Bastians, Dharisha; Goel, Vindu (9 November 2018). "Sri Lanka President Dissolves Parliament Amid Power Struggle". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  4. "Sri Lanka Supreme Court overturns dissolution of parliament". Al Jazeera and news agencies. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  5. "Sri Lanka's General Election postponed till country is freed from COVID-19". NewsIn.Asia. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  6. "Sri Lanka's General Election postponed: Until the polls Country comes under Election Commission | Asian Tribune". www.asiantribune.com. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  7. admin (15 March 2020). "President tells SAARC leaders April election will go ahead". Colombo Gazette. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. MENAFN. "Sri Lanka- President tells SAARC leaders April election will go ahead". menafn.com. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  9. "Sri Lanka election set for June 20, ending possible crisis". Yahoo!.
  10. "Sri Lankan Supreme Court told parliamentary election can be held on June 20 under health guidelines". outlookindia.com.
  11. "Sri Lanka election set for June 20, ending possible crisis". WTOP. 20 April 2020.
  12. "Sri Lanka's parliamentary elections fixed for August 5". Sri Lanka News – Newsfirst. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  13. "Sri Lanka Parliamentary General Election to be held on Aug 5". EconomyNext. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  14. "Sri Lanka's General Election on August 05". Adaderana. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  15. "Move to dissolve Sri Lanka's parliament". BBC. 9 November 2018.
  16. "Sri Lanka Supreme Court says president violated constitution". Yahoo! News.
  17. "Ranil sworn back in as prime minister | Tamil Guardian". tamilguardian.com.
  18. "Sri Lanka court denies Rajapakse authority to act as PM". Yahoo!.
  19. "Ranil Wickremesinghe to resign as Sri Lanka's prime minister, Mahinda to take over | Tamil Guardian". tamilguardian.com.
  20. "Sri Lanka : UNP appoints Sajith as the leader of new alliance and Prime Ministerial candidate". colombopage.com.
  21. "Sajith's alliance to be named 'Samagi Jana Balawegaya' with the 'heart' as its symbol". english.theleader.lk.
  22. "SLPP and SLFP to contest general election under new alliance with Mahinda as leader". Adaderana. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  23. "Sri Lankan Parliament dissolved, elections on April 25". Hindustan Times. 3 March 2020.
  24. "Sri Lanka's General Election postponed". Adaderana. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  25. "Sri Lankan election commission asks president to seek court opinion on parliamentary election delay". ConstitutionNet.
  26. "President's Secretary responds to Election Commission on the warning of Constitutional Crisis". lankanewsweb.net.
  27. "Prof. Hoole objects proposal to conduct poll on May 28". Sri Lanka News – Newsfirst. 20 April 2020.
  28. "General Election will be held on June 20". MSN.
  29. "Victor Ivan and seven others file FR against General Election". MSN.
  30. "Samagi Jana Balawegaya files petition against 20 June polls | Colombo Gazette". 6 May 2020.
  31. "Champika and Welgama file petitions against polls | Colombo Gazette". 9 May 2020.
  32. "Five-member judge bench to hear FR petitions against elections date". Adaderana. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  34. Sooriyagoda, Lakmal. "AG requests court to dismiss petitions in limine". Daily News.
  35. "SC dismisses petitions against polls date: Elections back on track – Sri Lanka News". The Morning – Sri Lanka News. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  36. Rasheed, Zaheena; Kuruwita, Rathindra (13 December 2018). "Sri Lanka's Supreme Court overturns sacking of parliament". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  37. "Sri Lanka : Curfew in Puttalam area lifted temporarily for nomination process". colombopage.com.
  38. Blanc, Jarrett; Hylland, Aanund; Vollan, Kare (2006). State Structure and Electoral Systems in Post-Conflict Situations. International Foundation for Electoral Systems. p. 106. ISBN 1-931459-17-7.
  39. "Report of the Post-Election Assessment of Sri Lanka Mission: November 28 – December 2, 2000" (PDF). National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. 28 December 2000. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  40. Thilakarathne, N. M. C. (1997). "Parliament Library of Sri Lanka". In Brian, Rob (ed.). Parliamentary Libraries and Information Services of Asia and the Pacific: Papers prepared for the 62nd IFLA Conference Beijing, China August 25–31, 1996. Walter de Gruyte. p. 87. ISBN 3-11-094763-3.
  41. "Sri Lanka: Parliament". Inter-Parliamentary Union.
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