The Government and Political System in Sri Lanka

The richly influenced country of Sri Lanka is a republic governed under the constitution of 1978 characterized by a mixture of a presidential system and a parliamentary system, meaning that they elect both a president and a prime minister to head the nation. The country has exercised the universal right to vote since 1931 and is self- governing, with its own laws and legislations beginning from its independence on February 22, 1946 up to date. Since 1948, Sri Lanka has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations, and is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Colombo Plan, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

The country’s highest ruler is the president, serving as the head of state, chief of the armed forces and head of government, popularly elected for a six-year term and is qualified for a second term. Part of the duties and responsibilities for this position is handling the country’s parliament which has 225 members of a single lawmaking chamber and appointing and presiding over a cabinet of ministers from the members of said parliament. The president may suspend or dissolve the parliament at any time after it has served for one year. The parliament however, reserves the right to make all laws. The prime minister serves as the leader of the parliament’s ruling party and the president’s delegate or right-hand who shares executive tasks most commonly in domestic affairs. Members of the parliament are elected by popularity thru the universal act of voting. Election of the members is by district and after inducted into office, members serve a term of six years.