Living with a Bane
Regular parliamentary elections based on universal adult franchise have been a constant feature of independent Sri Lanka, continued from the inauguration in 1931 of the Donoughmore Constitution, named after the Earl of Donoughmore, who chaired a commission on constitutional reform appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Two political parties have governed the country throughout the post-independence period: the United National Party (UNP), mostly contesting elections alone, and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), usually in alliance with other groups, mainly left-oriented.
The constituency-based electoral system resulted in three landslide victories—in 1956 for S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike´s Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, in 1970 for the United Front under Sirimavo Bandaranaike, and in 1977 for the United National Party of J.R. Jayewardene. A system of proportional representation was introduced in 1978 in the hope that it would prevent wide swings of the political pendulum. As a result, no single party has been able to sweep the polls since 1978, and a sizeable and vigorous opposition has been a feature of the parliamentary process.
On the other hand, the dictatorial power of the executive presidency, also introduced in 1978, has severely encroached upon the legislature´s prerogatives. During the runup to the last elections, the People´s Alliance had been categorical about its intention to abolish the executive presidency which, before assuming power, they considered to be "the bane of [our] country since 1978". Having enjoyed the powers of the executive presidency for over two years, however. President Chandnka Kumaratunga and her government seem in no hurry to do away with it.
Over the years, increasing rivalry at election time has resulted in bitterness amongst the political leadership as well as the rank and file. The SLFP (in association with leftist parties) and the UNP have failed to find common ground on important national issues; this has been one reason for the country´s inability to come to grips with the deep-seated ethnic problem. Violence and corruption have crept into electioneering and into public life. The country has been politically polarised between the two political groupings.