Info
Electoral Systems
ES001
Head of State
Question: How is the Head of State selected?
Answer(s):
a . Head of State is the Head of Government
Comments: There shall be a President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, who is the Head of the State, the Head of the Executive and of the Government, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Source: Constitution, Art. 30: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/LK/sri-lanka-constitution-as-amended-up-to-9/at_download/file
Verified: 2016/01/28
ES002
Head of Government
Question: How is the Head of Government selected?
Answer:
f . Other
Comments: The President of the Republic shall be elected by the People, and shall hold office for a term of six years
At the election of the President every voter while casting his vote for any candidate may where there are three candidates for election, specify his second preference and where there are more than three candidates for election, specify his second and third preferences.
The candidate, if any, who receives more than one-half of the valid votes cast shall be declared elected as President. Where no candidate is declared elected, the candidate or candidates, other than the candidates who received the highest and second highest number of such votes, shall be eliminated from the contest, and the second preference of each voter whose vote had been for a candidate eliminated from the contest, shall, if it is for one or the other of the remaining two candidates, be counted as a vote for such candidate and be added to the votes counted in his favour and the third preference of each voter whose second preference is not counted under that sub-paragraph shall, if it is for one or the other of the remaining two candidates, be counted as a vote for such candidate and be added to the votes counted in his favour. The candidate who receives the majority of the votes so counted shall be declared elected as President.
Source: Constitution, Art. 30(2), 94(1-2): http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/LK/sri-lanka-constitution-as-amended-up-to-9/at_download/file
Verified: 2016/01/28
ES003
President
Question: Does the country have a president?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments:
Source: Constitution, Art. 30, 31, 94: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/LK/sri-lanka-constitution-as-amended-up-to-9/at_download/file
Verified: 2016/01/28
ES004
Number of Chambers
Question: The national legislature consists of (one/two chambers):
Answer:
a . One chamber
Comments: There shall be a Parliament which shall consist of two hundred and twenty-five Members elected in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution
Source: Constitution, Art. 62: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/LK/sri-lanka-constitution-as-amended-up-to-9/at_download/file
Verified: 2016/01/28
ES005
Electoral System (Chamber 1)
Question: What is the electoral system for Chamber 1 of the national legislature?
Answer(s):
g . List Proportional Representation
Comments: Every elector at an election of Members of Parilament shall, in addition to his vote, be entitled to indicate his preferences for not more than three candidates nominated by the same recognized political party or independent group
Every recognized political party and independent group polling **[less than one twentieth of the total votes] polled at any election in any electoral district shall be disqualified from having any candidates of such party or group being elected for that electoral district.
The votes polled by the disqualified parties and independent groups, if any, shall be deducted from the total votes polled at the election in that electoral district and the number of votes resulting from such deduction is hereinafter referred to as the “relevant numbers of votes.”
(7) The relevant number of votes shall be divided by the number of members to be elected for that electoral district reduced by one, if the number resulting from such division is an integer, that integer, or if that number is an integer and fraction, the integer immediately higher to that integer and fraction is hereinafter referred to as the “resulting number.”
The number of votes polled by each recognized political party and independent group (other than those parties or groups disqualified under paragraph (6) of this Article) beginning with the party or group which polled the highest number of votes shall then be divided by the resulting number and the returning officer shall declare elected from each such party or group, in accordance with the preferences secured by each of the candidates nominated by such party or group (the candidate securing the highest number of preferences being declared elected first, the candidate securing the next highest number of preferences being declared elected next and so on) such number of candidates (excluding the candidate declared elected under paragraph (5) of this Article) as is equivalent to the whole number resulting from the division by the resulting number of the votes polled by such party or group
Source: Constitution, Art. 99(2, 6-8): http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/LK/sri-lanka-constitution-as-amended-up-to-9/at_download/file
Verified: 2016/01/28
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