Election in Sri Lanka

8/18/2019 Election in Sri Lanka

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Election in Sri LankaRajapaksa and Indian Interest


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Introduction

Sri Lanka - officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

And known from the beginning of British colonial rule until 1972 as Ceylon

is an island country in South Asia near south-east India

A di!erse and multicultural country" and a home to many religions" ethnic

grou#s" and languages

Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage

Sri Lanka is a re#ublic and a unitary state go!erned by a #residential system

Sri Lanka has had a long history of international engagement" as a foundingmember of the South Asian Association for $egional %oo#eration &SAA$%'"

and a member of the (nited )ations" the %ommonwealth of )ations" the *77"

and the )on-Aligned +o!ement

It is the only country in South Asia that is currently rated ,high, on

the uman .e!elo#ment Inde/


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Sri Lankan go!ernment- Structure

Sri Lanka is a democratic re#ublic and a unitary state which is go!erned by

a semi-#residential system

In common with many democracies" the Sri Lankan go!ernment has three

branches0

Executive0

he resident of Sri Lanka is the head of state" the commander in chief of

the armed forces3 head of go!ernment" and is #o#ularly elected for a

fi!e-year termhe resident heads the cabinet and

a##oints ministers from elected members of #arliament

The current President is Maithripala Sirisena.


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Legislative0

he arliament of Sri Lanka is a unicameral 224-member legislature with195 members elected in multi-seat constituencies and 29 elected

by #ro#ortional re#resentation

+embers are elected by uni!ersal suffrage based on #ro#ortional

re#resentation system for a fi!e-year term

he #resident6s de#uty" the rime +inister" leads the ruling #arty in

#arliament and shares many e/ecuti!e res#onsibilities" mainly in domesticaffairs

Judicial:

Sri Lanka6s udiciary consists of a Su#reme %ourt 8 the highest and final

su#erior court of record" a %ourt of A##eal" igh %ourts and a number of

subordinate courts


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India - Sri Lanka $elations- !er!iew

Bilateral relations between the .emocratic Socialist $e#ublic of Sri

Lanka and the $e#ublic of India %ontro!ersially affected by the Sri Lankan %i!il :ar and by the failure

of Indian inter!ention during the war and the fishing dis#utes

ri!ate entities and elements in the $esearch and Analysis :ing and the

state go!ernment of amil )adu were belie!ed to be encouraging the

funding and training for the Liberation igers of amil Eelam!

a separatist insurgent force Sri Lankan )a!y #ersonnel firing on Indian fishermen fishing in the alk

Strait" where India and Sri Lanka are only se#arated by 12 nautical miles

he issue is because of Indian fishermen using mechani;ed trawlers which

de#ri!es the Sri Lankan fishermen including amils of their catch and also

damaging their fishing boats


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India is acti!e in a number of areas of de!elo#ment acti!ity in Sri Lanka

About one-si/th of the total de!elo#ment credit granted by *I is made a!ailab

Lanka.

A number of de!elo#ment #roects are im#lemented under


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+ahindha $aa#aksa

Sri Lankan #olitician who ser!ed as the 5th resident of Sri

Lanka from 19 )o!ember 2>>4 to 9 ?anuary 2>14 A lawyer by #rofession" $aa#aksa was first elected to

the arliament of Sri Lanka in 197>"

e ser!ed as rime +inister from 5 A#ril 2>>@ until his !ictory

in the 2>>4 #residential election

e was sworn in for his first si/-year term as resident on 19 )o!ember 2>>4.

e was re-elected for a second term on 27 ?anuary 2>1>

e was defeated in his bid for a third term in the 2>14

#residential election by +aithri#ala Sirisena and left office on 9

?anuary 2>14


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%harges against $aa#aksa

:ikiLeaks from 2>>9 to 2>1> released information stating

+ahinda $aa#aksha as res#onsible for massacre of amilci!ilians

+any had accused him of becoming authoritarianism" ne#otism"

#oor go!ernance" and corru#tion

Lost the su##ort of most of the minorities due to his alliance with

the Buddhist e/tremist Bodu Bala Sena

Stock market #rice-fi/ing and the abuse of state funds for

#olitical #ur#oses by his family and his close association


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2>14 S$I LA)A) A$LI+)A$C

L%I)S

resident +ahinda $aa#akshsa was (nited eo#les Dreedom

Alliances candidate seeking third term in the office

(nited )ational arty led o##ositions candidate was $anil

:ickremesinghs

() won a total of 1>5 seats in a 224 member assembly short of an

absolute maority by 7 seats

(DA came second with 94 seats


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$esult


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Sri Lanka and %hina

In recent years Sri Lanka has mo!ed closer to %hina" es#ecially in terms of na

agreements

%hina has been a steady source of military eEui#ment to Sri Lanka" and is hel

moderni;e and e/#and the Sri Lanka Armed Dorces" and also trains Sri Lanka

#ersonnel

$aa#aksa allowed %hinese na!al submarine to dock" not once but twice in %

rattled )ew .elhi

he 14 billion dollar %olombo ort %ity" which the %hinese were building fr

reclaimed land had led to howl of #rotest from concerned citi;ens" but the $a

not budge

It was only after Sirsena took o!er that many %hinese #roects were ke#t on h

re!iew for flouting en!ironmental and building laws


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$aa#aksa as Sri Lankan + is bad for IndiaF

() re#ort on human rights abuse by the Sinhala army in the last

#hase of the military cam#aign against the L will be tabled atthe () uman $ights %ouncil in *ene!a by Se#tember-end"

when the new arliament will meet and a new #rime minister take

charge

%hina was a big factor in the deteriorating ties between India and

Sri Lanka %hina=s foray into the Indian cean is a maor challenge to India

he go!ernment of India felt Lanka was using Beiing to needle

and humiliate India


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$aa#aksa also told that Lanka=s new go!ernment is being unfair

to %hina by unnecessarily dragging it into domestic #olitics

Also" besides #romising ,1G Amendment H, for the amils"

$aa#aksa refused to concede e!en an inch to the minorities

Issues could come u# once again if $aa#aksa were to become

#rime minister


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)ew #lans

Sirisena is attem#ting a delicate balance of tacking back towards

India without losing %hina=s friendshi#

he new go!ernment said it is re!iewing in!estments from all

countries made in Sri Lanka during $aa#aksa regime to

in!estigate allegations of corru#tion

It also said %hina=s (S. fi!e billion loans was #ro!ided with

high interests and wants to renegotiate them with Beiing

Documents

Election in Sri Lanka