Parliament of Sri Lanka
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The Parliament of Sri Lanka is a Unicameral 225-member legislature elected by universal suffrage and proportional representation for a six-year term. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws. It is based on the British Parliament.
The Speaker or, in his absence the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees or the Deputy Chairman of Committees, presides over Parliament.
The nation's President has the power to summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and to dissolve Parliament.
Of the 225 members, 196 are elected from 25 multi-member Electoral Districts. The remaining 29 are National List seats, allocated to the contending parties (and independent groups) in proportion to their share of the national vote.
[edit] Last election
| Alliances and parties | Votes | % | Change | Seats | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United People's Freedom Alliance | 4,223,970 | 45.60 | -0.01 | 105 | +12 |
| United National Front | 3,504,200 | 37.83 | -7.73 | 82 | -27 |
| Tamil National Alliance/Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi | 633,654 | 6.84 | - | 22 | +22 |
| Jathika Hela Urumaya | 554,076 | 5.97 | - | 9 | +9 |
| Sri Lanka Muslim Congress | 186,876 | 2.02 | +0.87 | 5 | - |
| Up-Country People's Front | 49,728 | 0.54 | 1 | ||
| Eelam People's Democratic Party | 24,955 | 0.27 | -0.54 | 1 | -1 |
| Jathika Sangwardhena Peramuna | 14,956 | 0.16 | +0.14 | 0 | |
| United Socialist Party | 14,660 | 0.16 | +0.06 | 0 | |
| Ceylon Democratic Unity Alliance | 10,736 | 0.12 | 0 | ||
| New Left Front | 8,461 | 0.09 | -0.42 | 0 | |
| Democratic People's Liberation Front | 7,326 | 0.08 | -0.10 | 0 | -1 |
| United Muslim People's Alliance | 3,779 | 0.04 | 0 | ||
| United Lalith Front | 3,773 | 0.04 | +0.00 | 0 | |
| National People's Party | 1,540 | 0.02 | 0 | ||
| Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya | 1,401 | 0.02 | +0.00 | 0 | |
| Swarajya | 1,136 | 0.01 | 0 | ||
| Sri Lanka Progressive Front | 814 | 0.01 | +0.00 | 0 | |
| Ruhunu Janatha Party | 590 | 0.01 | +0.00 | 0 | |
| Sri Lanka National Front | 493 | 0.01 | +0.00 | 0 | |
| Liberal Party | 413 | 0.00 | -0.01 | 0 | |
| Sri Lanka Muslim Katchi | 382 | 0.00 | -0.01 | 0 | |
| Socialist Equality Party | 159 | 0.00 | +0.00 | 0 | |
| Democratic United National Front | 141 | 0.00 | -0.01 | 0 | |
| Independent lists | * | * | * | 0 | |
| Total | 9,262,732 | - | - | 225 | |
| Source: [1] | |||||
[edit] Parliament Buildings
Under the British Colonial regime, when the Executive Council and the Legislative Councils were set up in 1831, they met in a building opposite Gordon Gardens, which is now the Presidential Secretariat. On January 29, 1930 the British Governor of Ceylon, Sir Herbert Stanley (1927-1931), opened a building fronting the ocean at Galle Face, Colombo, designed for meetings of the Legislative Council . It was subsequently used by the State Council (1931-1947). Initially, it seated 49 Legislative Council members.
Structural changes to the parliament building were made in 1947 when membership to the House of Representatives was increased to 101. In 1960, membership was increased to 157, and in 1977 to 168 but no changes were made to accommodation and facilities.
In 1967 under Speaker Sir Albert F. Peris, the leaders of the political parties unanimously resolved that a new Parliament building should be constructed on the opposite side of Beira Lake from the existing Parliament at Galle Face, but no further action was taken. While Stanley Tilakaratne was the Speaker (1970-77), the leaders of the political parties entrusted the drawing up of plans for a new Parliament building to architects, but the project was subsequently abandoned.
On July 04, 1979, then Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa obtained sanction from Parliament to construct a new Parliament building at Duwa, a 5 hectare (12 acre) island in the Diyawanna Oya (off Baddegana Road, Pita Kotte) about 16 kilometres (10 miles) east of Colombo. The island had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese soldiers in the last days of the Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal City of Sri Jayawardhana Kotte. It had belonged to E.W. Perera and had housed a chicken farm prior to being vested in the state.
The building was designed by Architect Geoffrey Bawa and built with Sri Lankan funds. On April 29, 1982, the new Parliamentary Complex was declared open by then President J.R. Jayewardene.
