Editing Sri Lanka (section)

== Government and politics ==
{{Main|Government of Sri Lanka|Constitution of Sri Lanka}}
{{expand section|is missing explication of the constitutional socialist nature of the republic that is reflected in the formal name of the country:  "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka"|date=July 2022}} 
[[File:Old Parliament Building, Colombo.JPG|thumb|The [[Old Parliament Building, Colombo|old Sri Lankan Parliament building]], near the [[Galle Face Green]] in Colombo. It now serves as the [[Presidential Secretariat (Sri Lanka)|Presidential Secretariat]]'s headquarters.]]

Sri Lanka is a [[Democracy|democratic]] [[republic]] and a [[unitary state]] which is governed by a [[semi-presidential system]].<ref name="constnt">{{cite web |title=Chapter 1 – The People, The State and Sovereignty |url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/Chapter_01_Amd.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531083515/http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/Chapter_01_Amd.html |archive-date=31 May 2014 |access-date=15 July 2014 |work=The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka}}</ref> Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in Asia.<ref>{{cite book |author=Norton, James H.K. |title=India and South Asia |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]] | place=United States |isbn=978-0-07-243298-5 |year=2001}}</ref> Most provisions of the constitution can be amended by a [[Supermajority|two-thirds majority]] in [[Parliament of Sri Lanka|parliament]]. The amendment of [[Entrenched clause|certain fundamental features]], including clauses on national symbols, religion, term limits, the reference to Sri Lanka as a unitary state, and the entrenchment mechanism itself, requires both a two-thirds majority in Parliament and approval in a nationwide [[referendum]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Walpola |first=Thilina |date=2024-07-15 |title=Creating confusion about a crystal-clear Article 83 (b) |url=https://island.lk/creating-confusion-about-a-crystal-clear-article-83-b/ |access-date=2024-11-19 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Op-ed: Are there limits to amending Sri Lanka's constitution? |url=https://constitutionnet.org/news/op-ed-are-there-limits-amending-sri-lankas-constitution |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=ConstitutionNet |language=en}}</ref> The Constitution of Sri Lanka officially declares it to be a [[socialist state]].<ref>{{cite constitution|article=Preamble|section=Preamble|country=the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|language=|ratified=7 September 1978|url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/Preamble.html|access-date=}}</ref>

In common with many democracies, the Sri Lankan government has three branches:
* '''Executive''': The [[President of Sri Lanka]] is the [[head of state]]; the [[Commander-in-chief|commander in chief]] of the armed forces; [[Chief executive (gubernatorial)|chief executive]], and is popularly elected for a five-year term.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Executive Presidency |url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/execpres/Indexep.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921054039/http://www.priu.gov.lk/execpres/Indexep.html |archive-date=21 September 2014 |access-date=15 July 2014 |work=The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka}}</ref> The president heads the [[cabinet (government)|cabinet]] and appoints [[minister (government)|ministers]] from elected [[Member of parliament|members of parliament]].<ref>{{cite web |date=20 November 2003 |title=The Constitution of Sri Lanka – Contents |url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/CONTENTS.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118180853/http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/CONTENTS.html |archive-date=18 November 2014 |work=The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka}}</ref> The president is immune from legal proceedings while in the office with respect to any acts done or omitted to be done by him or her in either an official or private capacity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Presidential Immunity |url=http://www.constitution.lk/static_pages/view/26 |publisher=constitution.lk}}{{dead link|date=July 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Following the passage of the [[Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka|19th amendment to the constitution]] in 2015, the president has two terms, which previously stood at no term limit.
* '''Legislative''': The [[Parliament of Sri Lanka]] is a [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] 225-member legislature with 196 members elected from 22 multi-seat constituencies and 29 elected by [[proportional representation]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Evolution of the Parliamentary System |url=http://www.parliament.lk/about_us/evolution.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616221401/http://www.parliament.lk/about_us/evolution.jsp |archive-date=16 June 2010 |publisher=[[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]}}</ref> Members are elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term. The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and dissolve Parliament at any time after four and a half years. The parliament reserves the power to make all laws.<ref name="parliam">{{cite web |title=The Legislative Power of Parliament |url=http://www.parliament.lk/functions/legislative_power.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616221100/http://www.parliament.lk/functions/legislative_power.jsp |archive-date=16 June 2010 |publisher=[[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]}}</ref> The president's deputy and [[head of government]], the [[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka|prime minister]], leads the [[ruling party]] in parliament and shares many executive responsibilities, mainly in domestic affairs.
[[File:Supreme Court Colombo.jpg|thumb|The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Colombo]]
* '''Judicial''': Sri Lanka's judiciary consists of a [[Supreme Court of Sri Lanka|Supreme Court]] – the highest and final superior court of record,<ref name="parliam" /> a Court of Appeal, High Courts and a number of subordinate courts. The highly complex legal system reflects diverse cultural influences.<ref name="unpanh">{{cite web |title=Sri Lanka public administration |url=http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan023242.pdf |access-date=15 July 2014 |publisher=[[United Nations Public Administration Network]] |page=2 |archive-date=2 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102055202/http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan023242.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Criminal law is based almost entirely on [[English law|British law]]. Basic civil law derives from [[Roman-Dutch law]]. Laws pertaining to marriage, divorce, and inheritance are [[Common law|communal]].<ref name="lawsd">{{cite web |title=Background Note: Sri Lanka |newspaper=U.S. Department of State |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5249.htm |access-date=15 July 2014 |publisher=[[United States Department of State]] |archive-date=4 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604192233/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5249.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Because of ancient customary practices and religion, the Sinhala customary law (Kandyan law), the [[Thesavalamai]], and [[Sharia]] law are followed in special cases.<ref name="custmryl">{{cite web |title=Sri Lanka Society & Culture: Customs, Rituals & Traditions |url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit.html |access-date=15 July 2014 |publisher=lankalibrary.com |archive-date=18 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618224748/http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The president appoints judges to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Courts. A judicial service commission, composed of the [[Chief Justice of Sri Lanka|chief justice]] and two Supreme Court judges, appoints, transfers, and dismisses lower court judges.

=== Politics ===
{{Main|Politics of Sri Lanka|Elections in Sri Lanka}}
{{Sri Lankan symbols}}

The current political culture in Sri Lanka is a contest between two rival coalitions led by the [[Centre-left politics|centre-left]] and [[Progressivism|progressive]] [[United People's Freedom Alliance]] (UPFA), an offspring of [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]] (SLFP), and the comparatively [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] and pro-[[Capitalism|capitalist]] [[United National Party]] (UNP). After 2018, two major political parties have split from these two parties: The [[Samagi Jana Balawegaya]] split from the UNP, and the [[Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna]] split from the UPFA. The third wing party [[Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna]] has gained popularity after 2022.<ref>{{Harvnb|Nubin|2002|p=95}}</ref>

Sri Lanka is essentially a multi-party democracy with many smaller Buddhist, socialist, and Tamil nationalist political parties. As of July 2011, the number of registered political parties in the country is 67.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pp.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919123154/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pp.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 September 2011 |title=Political Parties in Sri Lanka |publisher=Department of Election, Sri Lanka |date=July 2011 |access-date=23 August 2011 }}</ref> Of these, the [[Lanka Sama Samaja Party]] (LSSP), established in 1935, is the oldest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/12/18/fea01.asp |title=Sri Lanka's oldest political party |work=Daily News |date=18 December 2010 |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-date=24 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824024913/http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/12/18/fea01.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

The UNP, established by D. S. Senanayake in 1946, was until recently the largest single political party.<ref name="unpl">{{cite web |url=http://www.unplanka.com/ |title=UNP: The Story of the Major Tradition |publisher=unplanka.com |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518080126/http://unplanka.com/ |archive-date=18 May 2014}}</ref> It is the only political group which had representation in all parliaments since independence.<ref name="unpl" /> SLFP was founded by [[S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike]] in July 1951.<ref name="slfps">{{cite web |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2009/11/16/fea03.asp |title=Charting a new course for Sri Lanka's success |work=Daily News |date=16 November 2009 |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-date=20 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220161248/http://archives.dailynews.lk/2009/11/16/fea03.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> SLFP registered its first victory in 1956, defeating the ruling UNP in the [[1956 Ceylonese parliamentary election|1956 Parliamentary election]].<ref name="slfps" /> Following the parliamentary election in [[July 1960 Ceylonese parliamentary election|July 1960]], [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]] became the prime minister and the world's first elected [[List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government|female head of government]].<ref name="bbcsirimavo">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/20/newsid_2784000/2784527.stm |title=Ceylon chooses world's first woman PM |publisher=BBC |date=20 July 1960 |access-date=7 September 2011 |archive-date=7 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307032617/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/20/newsid_2784000/2784527.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[G. G. Ponnambalam]], the [[Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism|Tamil nationalist]] counterpart of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike,<ref name="socs">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m4Y9AAAAYAAJ |author=Society of Jesus in India |title=New review, Volume 23 |publisher=Macmillan and co. ltd. |place=India |page=78 |year=1946 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=6 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106110417/https://books.google.com/books?id=m4Y9AAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> founded the [[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]] (ACTC) in 1944. Objecting to Ponnambalam's cooperation with D. S. Senanayake, a dissident group led by [[S. J. V. Chelvanayakam|S.J.V. Chelvanayakam]] broke away in 1949 and formed the [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]] (ITAK), also known as the Federal Party, becoming the main Tamil political party in Sri Lanka for next two decades.<ref name="poltitak">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLqmdDp3l0oC|first1=Lakshman|last1=W. D.|author-link2=Clem Tisdell|last2=Tisdell|first2=Clem|title=Sri Lanka's development since independence: socio-economic perspectives and analyses|publisher=[[Nova Publishers]]|place=[[New York City|New York]]|page=80|isbn=978-1-56072-784-2|year=2000|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=6 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106110417/https://books.google.com/books?id=MLqmdDp3l0oC|url-status=live}}</ref> The Federal Party advocated a more aggressive stance toward the Sinhalese.<ref name="postcolhist">{{cite web |url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/postcolonial_history.htm |title=Sri Lanka: Post Colonial History |publisher=Lanka Library |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=26 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126130640/http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/postcolonial_history.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> With the constitutional reforms of 1972, the ACTC and ITAK created the Tamil United Front (later [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]). Following a period of turbulence as Tamil militants rose to power in the late 1970s, these Tamil political parties were succeeded in October 2001 by the [[Tamil National Alliance]].<ref name="postcolhist" /><ref name="tnas">{{cite news |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/02/24/sri-lanka-tamil-national-alliance-denies-having-talks-buddhist-prelates |title=Sri Lanka Tamil National Alliance denies having talks with Buddhist prelates |newspaper=[[Asian Tribune]] |date=24 February 2011 |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123053/http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/02/24/sri-lanka-tamil-national-alliance-denies-having-talks-buddhist-prelates |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna]], a [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist–Leninist]] political party founded by [[Rohana Wijeweera]] in 1965, serves as a third force in the current political context.<ref name="jvpnew">{{cite web |url=http://socialsciences-ejournal.org/SP%2012.%20Shathasiri.pdf |page=139 |title=Revolutionary Idealism and Parliamentary Politics |publisher=Asia-Pacific Journal of Social Sciences |date=December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920090225/http://socialsciences-ejournal.org/SP%2012.%20Shathasiri.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2011}}</ref> It endorses leftist policies which are more radical than the traditionalist leftist politics of the LSSP and the [[Communist Party of Sri Lanka|Communist Party]].<ref name="postcolhist" /> Founded in 1981, the [[Sri Lanka Muslim Congress]] is the largest Muslim political party in Sri Lanka.<ref name="muslcon">{{cite web |url=http://www.sangam.org/2011/02/SL_Muslims.php?uid=4258 |title=Sri Lankan Muslims: Between ethno-nationalism and the global ummah |work=Dennis B. McGilvray |publisher=[[Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism]] |date=January 2011 |access-date=29 April 2012 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306194038/http://www.sangam.org/2011/02/SL_Muslims.php?uid=4258 |url-status=live }}</ref>

President [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]] lost the [[2015 Sri Lankan presidential election|2015 presidential elections]], ending his ten-year presidency. However, his successor as Sri Lankan President, [[Maithripala Sirisena]], decided not to seek re-election in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sri Lanka President Sirisena abandons re-election bid |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka-president-sirisena-abandons-re-election-bid |work=The Straits Times |date=6 October 2019 |language=en |access-date=23 November 2021 |archive-date=23 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123143110/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka-president-sirisena-abandons-re-election-bid |url-status=live }}</ref> The Rajapaksa family regained power in November [[2019 Sri Lankan presidential election|2019 presidential elections]] when Mahinda's younger brother and former wartime defence chief [[Gotabaya Rajapaksa]] won the election, and he was later sworn in as the new president of Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/03/05/sri-lankas-ruling-party-calls-an-election-hoping-for-a-landslide |title=Sri Lanka's ruling party calls an election, hoping for a landslide |date=5 March 2020 |newspaper=The Economist |access-date=3 March 2021 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309095940/https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/03/05/sri-lankas-ruling-party-calls-an-election-hoping-for-a-landslide |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-Gotabaya-Rajapaksa-election.html |title=Gotabaya Rajapaksa Wins Sri Lanka Presidential Election |first1=Dharisha |last1=Bastians |first2=Kai |last2=Schultz |date=17 November 2019 |work=The New York Times |access-date=3 March 2021 |archive-date=4 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304005105/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-Gotabaya-Rajapaksa-election.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Their firm grip of power was consolidated in the [[2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] in August 2020. The family's political party, [[Sri Lanka People's Front]] (known by its Sinhala initials SLPP), obtained a landslide victory and a clear majority in the parliament. Five members of the Rajapaksa family won seats in the new parliament. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa became the new prime minister.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/9/mahinda-rajapaksa-sworn-in-as-sri-lankas-pm-after-record-victory |title=Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka's PM |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=3 March 2021 |archive-date=7 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307092414/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/9/mahinda-rajapaksa-sworn-in-as-sri-lankas-pm-after-record-victory |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, a [[2022 Sri Lankan political crisis|political crisis]] started due to the power struggle between [[President of Sri Lanka|President]] [[Gotabaya Rajapaksa]] and the [[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]. The crisis was fuelled by [[2022 Sri Lankan protests|anti-government protests and demonstrations by the public]] and also due to the worsening [[economy of Sri Lanka]] since 2019. The anti-government sentiment across various parts of Sri Lanka has triggered unprecedented political instability, creating shockwaves in the political arena.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rajapaksa Clan Losing Grip on Power in Sri Lanka |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/rajapaksa-clan-losing-grip-on-power-in-sri-lanka/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US |archive-date=30 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430192710/https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/rajapaksa-clan-losing-grip-on-power-in-sri-lanka/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On July 20, 2022, [[Ranil Wickremesinghe]] was elected as the ninth President via a [[2022 Sri Lankan presidential election|parliamentarian election]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jayasinghe |first1=Uditha |last2=Pal |first2=Alasdair |last3=Ghoshal |first3=Devjyot |title=Sri Lanka gets new president in six-time PM Wickremesinghe |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sri-lanka-could-tip-back-chaos-if-six-time-pm-voted-president-2022-07-20/ |work=Reuters |date=21 July 2022 |language=en |access-date=29 September 2022 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929043828/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sri-lanka-could-tip-back-chaos-if-six-time-pm-voted-president-2022-07-20/ |url-status=live }}</ref> President Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated by left-leaning [[Anura Kumara Dissanayake]] in 2024 presidential [[2024 Sri Lankan presidential election|elections]].<ref>{{cite news |title=New Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in – DW – 09/23/2024 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/new-sri-lanka-president-anura-kumara-dissanayake-sworn-in/a-70297993 |work=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>