Sri Lanka's electoral systems and procedures......!

  Sri Lanka's electoral systems and procedures......!

 Sri Lanka's electoral systems and procedures......!

 Sri Lanka's electoral systems and procedures

                           

 Sri Lanka’s electoral systems and practices are the bedrock of the country’s democratic structure. They are essential for ensuring the free will of citizens, the selection of their representatives, and the sharing of power. Sri Lanka’s electoral system, which has evolved gradually since the colonial period, has adapted to various political and social changes. This article examines in depth the evolution of Sri Lanka’s electoral systems, the current structure, the practices followed and the major challenges faced, including these unique features and the challenges that arise from time to time.

Historical Evolution of Electoral Systems:

The starting point of Sri Lanka's electoral system was the period under colonial rule. The Donaghmore Constitution, introduced in 1931, marked an important milestone in the political history of Sri Lanka. It granted adult suffrage for the first time, allowing all eligible citizens to exercise their political rights. This was followed by the Soulbury Constitution, introduced in 1948, which established a Westminster-style parliamentary system in Sri Lanka. In these early stages, the "First-Past-the-Post" (FPTP) majority voting system was in effect. In this system, the candidate who received the most votes in a particular constituency was declared the winner.

However, this majority voting system had some shortcomings. In particular, it was criticized for being inadequate in ensuring representation of minority communities. Candidates who did not receive a majority of votes in a constituency lost their chance of winning, and thus the voices of the minority population were not properly reflected in Parliament. In view of these shortcomings, demands for the introduction of Proportional Representation (PR) gained momentum. As a result, the new Constitution of 1978 adopted the PR system as the main electoral system in Sri Lanka. Under this system, each political party is allocated seats in Parliament on a proportional basis of the total votes it received at the national level. This change gave minority communities and small political parties the opportunity to gain representation in Parliament.

increased significantly. This system reflects the overall support for parties at the national level and helps to represent a wide range of political views in Parliament.

 

Current Electoral System Structure of Sri Lanka:

Currently, Sri Lanka follows different electoral systems at the national and provincial levels. For parliamentary elections and provincial council elections

                                  

 

·        The proportional representation system and the direct vote system for the presidential election to elect the country's president are in practice. At the same time, a mixed system is used in local government elections.

 

·        Parliamentary Election System: The entire country of Sri Lanka is divided into multi-member constituencies, and a certain number of members of parliament are elected from each constituency through the proportional representation system. Each voter votes for the political party of their choice. Then, each party is allocated seats in parliament based on the total number of votes it received nationwide. In order to allocate these seats, the "Cut-off Point" system plays an important role in determining the candidates who win each constituency. A political party can only be represented in parliament if it receives a certain minimum percentage of votes at the national level. This cut-off point system helps prevent excessive fragmentation of small parties and create a somewhat stable government. Furthermore, each voter can cast a preference vote for three candidates of their choice. This leads to competition within parties and greater support for particular candidates.

 

·        Provincial Council Election System: Elections to provincial councils are conducted under the proportional representation system, similar to parliamentary elections. Each province is divided into multi-member electoral constituencies, and provincial council members are elected from the respective constituencies. This system helps to represent provincial-level issues and formulate policies according to regional needs. The preferential voting system is also followed in provincial council elections.

 

·        Presidential Election System: The President of Sri Lanka is directly elected by the people. For this, the entire country is considered a single electoral constituency. Any candidate contesting the election who receives more than 50 percent of the votes is elected as the President of the country. If any candidate fails to receive 50 percent of the votes in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates who received the most votes. This direct voting system helps the President to obtain a direct mandate from the people. This strengthens the power of the President.

 

·        Local Government Council Election System: A mixed system is followed in the elections to the local government councils. In this system, a certain number of members are elected by majority vote from constituencies and the remaining members are elected in proportion to the total votes received by the respective political parties. This mixed system aims to reflect the representation at the constituency level and the overall party support in a balanced manner. Through this, representatives who give importance to local issues and representatives of parties that have received broad popular support can be included in the council. Some changes have been made to this system recently.

 

Election Procedures - A Comprehensive Overview:

Extensive procedures consisting of several stages are followed to ensure that elections are held in Sri Lanka in a free and fair manner.

             

·        Voter Registration and Eligibility: Every citizen eligible to vote in an election must be duly registered in the voters’ list. The country’s Election Commission makes arrangements for this. Everyone who has attained a certain age (usually 18 years) and is a citizen of Sri Lanka is eligible to vote. The voters’ list is updated from time to time so that everyone who is eligible gets the opportunity to vote. The National Identity Card is an important document for voter registration.

 

·        Election Notice and Filing of Nominations: The Election Commission issues an official notice of the upcoming election. This notice clearly states important details such as the last date for filing nominations, the day and time of the election. Individuals or recognized political parties who wish to contest the election must file their nominations within a specified time limit. The qualifications and conditions for this are clearly defined in the country’s Election Act. The final list of contesting candidates is published only after the nominations are duly considered. It is also necessary to pay a certain amount as a fee along with the nomination.

 

·        Election Campaigning and Regulations: Candidates and political parties contesting elections actively engage in election campaigns to convey their policies and promises to the people. These campaigns are carried out through various means such as public meetings, media advertisements, pamphlets and social media. However, the norms and restrictions for these campaigns are clearly mentioned in the Election Act. Hate speech, personal attacks and violations of election laws These are punishable offenses. The Election Commission ensures that these regulations are properly followed. The time limits for election campaigns are also defined in the law.

 

·        Voting and Secrecy: On election day, eligible voters go to the polling stations where their names are printed and cast their votes. Voters are allowed to vote only after presenting documents confirming their identity, such as a national identity card or passport. The secret ballot system is strictly followed in Sri Lanka. The polling stations will have facilities for each voter to vote for their preferred candidate or party without anyone knowing. This ensures the free decision of the voters. Election officials and political party agents will be involved in monitoring at the polling stations.

·        Counting and Monitoring: After the voting is over, all ballot boxes are safely transported to counting centres. There, the votes are counted in the presence of election officials and authorized political party representatives. This monitoring is arranged to ensure that the vote counting process is carried out in a transparent manner. The number of votes received by each candidate or political party is properly recorded. Security will be strengthened at the counting centres.

 

·        Announcement and Allocation of Election Results: Once the vote counting is complete, the election results are officially announced by the Election Commission. In parliamentary and provincial council elections held under the proportional representation system, parliamentary and provincial council seats are allocated based on the total votes received by each political party. In presidential elections, the candidate who receives the most votes is officially declared the winner. In local government elections, the winning candidates are divided by constituency.

 

·        The results and the results of the seats allocated based on the total votes received by political parties are announced separately. The election results are communicated to the public through the media and the Election Commission's website.

 

 

Key Challenges Facing Sri Lanka’s Electoral Systems:

While Sri Lanka’s electoral systems have played a key role in upholding democracy and reflecting the will of the people over the years, they also face some significant challenges.

               

·        Inherent Problems of Proportional Representation: While the proportional representation system has ensured representation of minority communities, it sometimes poses problems in forming stable governments. Since it is rare for any political party to obtain a majority, coalition governments have to be formed. This can have adverse effects on policy decision-making and the stability of the government. Furthermore, the preferential voting system in this system has been criticized by the public for the fierce competition between parties and sometimes unethical campaigning practices. There are allegations that the preferential voting system also leads to corruption.

·        Impact of Election Violence and Irregularities: There are occasional reports of violence and irregularities during elections in Sri Lanka. Illegal activities such as intimidation of voters, casting of fake votes, and influencing election officials question the credibility of the election process. This is against the basic principles of democracy. Despite the appointment of election observers, violence sometimes occurs.

·        Money power and influence of the media: Candidates and political parties contesting elections spend a large amount of money on election campaigns. This reduces the chances of honest candidates who do not have money power to win the election. Furthermore, biased news and advertisements by the media can affect the decisions of voters. This leads to denial of equal opportunities in elections. Laws to control election expenses are not fully implemented.

 

·        Low voter education and youth participation: In some areas, there is insufficient awareness among voters about electoral procedures and the importance of voting. There is low interest in voting, especially among the youth. This affects the full representation of the democratic process. It is necessary to continuously create awareness among the people about the necessity of voting and the electoral procedures.

·        Outdated electoral laws and need for reform: It is necessary to carry out reforms in the electoral laws in line with the times. Especially, to remove the shortcomings in the proportional representation system, enact strict laws to prevent electoral violence, control election expenses and introduce new The use of technologies is also an important requirement. Due to the shortcomings in the electoral system, calls for electoral reform arise from time to time.

 

Possible recommendations for the future:

The following recommendations can be considered to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s electoral systems and practices and enhance democracy:

·        Comprehensive electoral law reform: New electoral systems that address the current shortcomings of the proportional representation system and lead to the formation of stable governments should be explored. The option of replacing the preferential voting system completely or imposing restrictions to reduce its impact should be seriously considered. The reintroduction of the constituency representation system could also be explored.

 

·        Prevention of electoral violence and law enforcement: Enact laws that provide severe punishments for those involved in electoral violence and effectively enforce them. Election security arrangements should be further strengthened and precautionary measures should be taken to prevent incidents of violence. Technology can be used to record incidents of violence and take action.

·        Control election expenses and ensure transparency: Enact laws to control expenses on election campaigns. Make it mandatory to declare sources of funding for political parties openly. Government funding can be examined. Rules for media campaigns should be tightened.

·        Voter education and awareness campaigns: Conduct continuous campaigns to make people aware of the importance of voting and electoral procedures. Implement special programs targeting especially the youth and new voters. Awareness can be created through the media and social media.

·        Strengthen the authority of the Independent Election Commission: Provide political and administrative support to ensure that the Election Commission functions independently and impartially. Legal provisions should be made to further strengthen its powers. The Election Commission should be provided with adequate financial and human resources.

·        Use of technology in the electoral process: The use of modern technology can be explored to make the electoral process more transparent and efficient. For example, the gradual introduction of electronic voting and the use of technologies to speed up the counting of votes can be considered. Digitization of the electoral roll will help prevent fraud.

·        Speedy trial of election-related cases: Special courts or mechanisms should be established to speedily try and decide cases related to election irregularities and violence. This will help in prompt punishment of the culprits and increase confidence in the electoral process.

·        Consultation with all stakeholders: It is essential to listen to the views of all political parties, civil society organizations and the public when making decisions on electoral reforms. Implementing reforms based on consensus will ensure their success.

   

Conclusion:

Sri Lanka’s electoral systems and practices are the bedrock of the country’s democracy. While the proportional representation system has provided many benefits, it also poses some challenges. Sri Lanka’s electoral systems can be further strengthened by effectively addressing challenges such as forming stable governments, preventing electoral violence, curbing the influence of money and improving voter education. Making the necessary reforms to electoral laws, increasing transparency and using technology will strengthen the democratic framework and ensure that the will of all citizens is fully reflected in government. A strong and credible electoral system is the foundation of true democracy. Sri Lanka’s electoral systems will be further strengthened by making timely changes and gaining the trust of all stakeholders.

 

 Sri Lanka's electoral systems and procedures......!