2020 Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election

Understanding Parliamentary Elections

Notes on Articles 96, 98, 99 and 99A of the Sri Lankan Constitution

“Will the SLPP get Two-Thirds?” is the “Big Question” of the 2020 Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election. I don’t hope to answer this question, because I don’t know the answer.

On the other hand, if you are interested in this question and other questions about #GenElecSL2020, understanding how elections work is key. Particularly, how seats are assigned.

Articles 96, 98, 99 and 99A of the Sri Lankan Constitution, collectively provide all the information you need to understand parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka. This article is based on my own notes of these articles, together with some illustrative examples and complementary data. Hope they would be useful to you too.

[Disclaimer: I’m no lawyer, nor constitutional expert. My only qualification for writing this article is that I can (to a point) read and write. Hence, take my notes with a pinch of salt].

Article 96. Electoral Districts (EDs)

1. Sri Lanka must divide into between 20 and 25 Electoral Districts (EDs). A Delimitation Commission defines the districts, their names and their boundaries.

Currently, Sri Lanka has 22 EDs.