House of Representatives (Ceylon)

House of Representatives

Dominion of Ceylon
Type
Type|

Lower house

History
Established| 1947
Disbanded| 1972
Preceded by| State Council of Ceylon
Succeeded by| National State Assembly
Seats| 101 (1947-1960)
157 (1960-1972)
Elections

Last election

| 1970 Ceylonese parliamentary election
Meeting place
The State Council building in Galle Face Green, Colombo. The building was used by the State Council's successors (the House of Representatives, National State Assembly, and Parliament of Sri Lanka) until 1982. Today it is known as the Old Parliament Building and houses the Presidential Secretariat.
This article is part of a series on the

Politics of
Sri Lanka

Constitution

* Amendments
* Law
* Human rights
* Taxation

* * *

Previous Constitutions

* 1931
* 1947
* 1972

Executive

President of Sri Lanka (10th)

* Anura Kumara Dissanayake

* * *

Ministerial portfolios

* Defence
* Finance, Planning and
Economic Development
* Digital Economy

* * *

Administration

* Dissanayake I
* Dissanayake II

* * *

* Presidential Secretariat

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (16th)

* Harini Amarasuriya

* * *

Ministerial portfolios

* Education, Higher Education and
Vocational Education

* * *

* Prime Minister's Office

Cabinet of Sri Lanka

* List of Cabinets
* Ministers
* Ministries
* Cabinet Office

* * *

* National Security Council

Legislature

Parliament of Sri Lanka (17th)

* * *

* Speaker (23rd)

* Jagath Wickramaratne

* * *

* Deputy Speaker and
Chairman of Committees

* Rizvie Salih

* * *

* Deputy Chairperson of Committees

* Hemali Weerasekara

* * *

* Leader of the Opposition

* Sajith Premadasa

* * *

* Leader of the House

* Bimal Rathnayake

* * *

* Chief Government Whip

* Nalinda Jayatissa

* * *

* Chief Opposition Whip

* Gayantha Karunathilaka

* * *

* Constitutional Council
* COPE
* Parliament Secretariat

Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

* Cabinet Minister

* Ananda Wijepala

Judiciary

Supreme Court of Sri Lanka

* Chief Justice (49th)

* Padman Surasena

* * *

* Justices of the Supreme Court

Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka

* President of the Court (52nd)

* Nalin Abeysooriya

* * *

* Judges of the Court of Appeal

* * *

* High Court
* District Court
* Magistrate's Court
* Primary Court
* Labour Tribunal

* * *

* Judicial Service Commission
* Bar Association
* Law enforcement

Attorney General's Department

* Attorney General (49th)

* Parinda Ranasinghe Jr.

* * *

* Solicitor General

* Viraj Dayaratne

Ministry of Justice

* Cabinet Minister

* Harshana Nanayakkara

Elections

Election Commission

* Chairman

* R. M. A. L. Rathnayake

* * *

* Members

Elections

* Presidential

* 1982
* 1988
* 1994
* 1999
* 2005
* 2010
* 2015
* 2019
* 2024

* * *

* Parliamentary

* 1947
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960 (M)
* 1960 (J)
* 1965
* 1970
* 1977
* 1989
* 1994
* 2000
* 2001
* 2004
* 2010
* 2015
* 2020
* 2024
* Next

* * *

* Provincial council

* 1988 (NE)
* 1999
* 2004
* 2008/09
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014 (M)
* 2014 (S)

* * *

* Local government

* 1998
* 2009
* 2011
* 2018
* 2019 (E)
* 2024 (E)
* 2025

Referendum

* 1982

* * *

* Electoral districts
* Polling divisions
* Political parties

Administrative divisions

Provinces

* Central
* Eastern
* North Central
* Northern
* North Western
* Sabaragamuwa
* Southern
* Uva
* Western

Districts

* Ampara
* Anuradhapura
* Badulla
* Batticaloa
* Colombo
* Galle
* Gampaha
* Hambantota
* Jaffna
* Kalutara
* Kandy
* Kegalle
* Kilinochchi
* Kurunegala
* Mannar
* Matale
* Matara
* Monaragala
* Mullaitivu
* Nuwara Eliya
* Polonnaruwa
* Puttalam
* Ratnapura
* Trincomalee
* Vavuniya

* * *

* District Secretariats
* Divisional Secretariats
* Grama Niladhari divisions
* Cities
* Towns
* Capital city

Devolution

* 13th Amendment
* Indo-Sri Lanka Accord

* * *

* Provincial Councils
* Governors
* Chief Ministers
* Councillors

* * *

* Local government
* Municipal Councils
* Urban Councils
* Pradeshiya Sabhas

Ministry of Provincial Councils
and Local Government

* Cabinet Minister

* Chandana Abayarathna

Central Bank

* Governor

* Nandalal Weerasinghe

* * *

* Currency
* Banknotes
* Economy

Ministry of Finance

* Cabinet Minister

* Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Foreign relations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

* Cabinet Minister

* Vijitha Herath

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Sri Lanka
* Ambassadors and high commissioners

* * *

* Passports
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

Related topics

* Sri Lanka
* History
* Flag
* Emblem
* Anthem
* Police
* Military

* Sri Lanka portal
* Politics portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The House of Representatives was the lower chamber of the parliament of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1947 by the Soulbury Constitution. The House was housed in the old State Council building in Galle Face Green, Colombo and met for the first time on 14 October 1947. The First Republican Constitution of Sri Lanka, adopted on 22 May 1972, replaced the House of Representatives (and Parliament of Ceylon) with the unicameral National State Assembly.

## Membership

[edit]

The House of Representatives initially consisted of 101 members, of whom 95 were elected by the electors of the 89 electoral districts and six appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister. The members were known as "Members of Parliament". The six appointed members represented important interests which were not represented or inadequately represented in the House, they were usually from the European and Burgher communities and on occasions from the Indian Tamils and Muslim (Moors or Malays) groups. On a few occasions caste groups from within the Sinhalese and Tamils also obtained representation in Parliament as appointed members.[1]

The fourth amendment to the Soulbury Constitution increased the number of members to 157 (151 elected from 145 electoral districts and six appointed).

## Electoral districts

[edit]

The initial 89 electoral districts consisted of 84 single-member districts, four two-member districts (Ambalangoda-Balapitiya, Badulla, Balangoda and Kadugannawa) and one three-member district (Colombo Central). From March 1960 there were 145 electoral districts consisting of 140 single-member districts, four two-member districts (Akurana, Batticaloa, Colombo South and Mutur) and one three-member district (Colombo Central).

## Speakers

[edit]

Main article: Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka

* Alfred Francis Molamure (1947–51)[2]
* Albert F. Peries (1951–56)[2]
* H. S. Ismail (1956–59)[2]
* T. B. Subasinghe (1960)[2]
* R. S. Pelpola (1960–64)[2]
* Hugh Fernando (1964)[2]
* Albert F. Peries (1965–67)[2]
* Shirley Corea (1967–70)[2]
* Stanley Tillekeratne (1970–72)[2]

## Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees

[edit]

* R. A. de Mel (1947–48)[3]
* H. W. Amarasuriya (1948)[3]
* Albert F. Peries (1948–51)[3]
* H. S. Ismail (1951–56)[3]
* Piyasena Tennakoon (1956–58)[3]
* R. S. Pelpola (1958–60)[3]
* Hugh Fernando (1960–64)[3]
* D. A. Rajapaksa (1964)[3]
* Shirley Corea (1965–67)[3]
* Razik Fareed (1967–68)[3]
* Murugesu Sivasithamparam (1968–70)[3]
* I. A. Cader (1970–72)[3]

## See also

[edit]

* Legislative Council of Ceylon
* National State Assembly
* Parliament of Ceylon
* Parliament of Sri Lanka
* Senate of Ceylon
* State Council of Ceylon

## References

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ Wilson, A. Jeyaratnam (2016). Politics in Sri Lanka, the Republic of Ceylon: A Study in the Making of a New Nation. Springer. p. 206\. ISBN 9781349015443.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Speakers". Handbook of Parliament. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2009-07-25.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees". Handbook of Parliament. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2010-11-26.

Bibliography

* "CEYLON (CONSTITUTION) ORDER IN COUNCIL". LawNet, Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2010-07-16.
* "CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS SINCE INDEPENDENCE". The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka.
* Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 11: On the threshold of freedom". SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY. Archived from the original on 2001-11-08.
* "First election on party basis". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 4 March 2007.

## External links

[edit]

* Parliament of Sri Lanka

* v
* t
* e

Parliament of Sri Lanka

* 17th Parliament
* Members of the 17th Parliament of Sri Lanka

Members|

| Current members|

* By length of service
* Youngest members
* Longest-serving members ever

|

Women and
minority members|

* Sri Lankan Tamil members
* Sri Lankan Moor members
* Other minority members
* Lady members
* Appointed members

Leaders|

* Prime Minister (list)
* Speaker of the Parliament (list)
* Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees
* Deputy Chairman of Committees
* Leader of the House
* Leader of the Opposition
* Chief Government Whip
* Chief Opposition Whip

Parliament Secretariat|

| Secretariat leaders|

* Secretaries-General (list)
* Deputy Secretary General (list)
* Assistant Secretary General (list)

|

Departments|

* Serjeant-at-Arms
* Administration
* Legislative Services
* Finance and Supplies
* Hansard
* Co-ordinating Engineer
* Catering and Housekeeping
* Information Systems and Management

Powers,
procedure
and customs|

| Powers|

* Legislative Power of the Sri Lankan Parliament

|

Committees|

* Selection
* House
* Standing Orders
* Parliamentary Business
* Public Accounts
* Public Enterprises
* Privileges
* Public Petitions

Items|

* Mace
* Chair
* Bar

History|

* History
* Historic legislatures of Sri Lanka
* Legislative Council (1833–1931)
* State Council (1931–1947)
* Parliament (1947–1972)
* National State Assembly (1972–1978)

Building of Parliament|

* Sri Lankan Parliament Building

Miscellaneous|

* List of Parliaments
* List of elections
* Deaths in office
* Districts

Website: Parliament of Sri Lanka

* v
* t
* e

Legislature of Sri Lanka and its antecedents

Website: Parliament of Sri Lanka

British Ceylon|

* Legislative Council (1833–1931)
* State Council (1931–1947)

Dominion of Ceylon|

Parliament (1947–1972)1

Sri Lanka|

* National State Assembly (1972–1978)
* Parliament (1978–present)

See also|

* Colebrooke-Cameron Commission (1829)
* Donoughmore Commission (1931–1947)
* Soulbury Commission (1944)

1 Only Bicameral legislature in modern Sri Lanka

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

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