Ceylonese State Council election, 1931

1st Ceylonese State Council election

1924 ← 13–20 June 1931 → 1936

50 seats to the State Council of Ceylon 26 seats were needed for a majority

The first election to the State Council of Ceylon were held from 13 to 20 June 1931.^[1] This was the first election in a British colony which used universal adult franchise.^[2]

Background

In 1931 the Donoughmore Constitution replaced the Legislative Council of Ceylon with the State Council of Ceylon as the legislature of British Ceylon. The State Council was to consist of 58 members of which 50 would be elected by universal suffrage and the remaining 8 members appointed the Governor.

The old Legislative Council was dissolved on 17 April 1931 and candidate nominations took place on 4 May 1931.^[3] The Jaffna Youth Congress, an organistion that campaigned for Ceylon independence, called for a boycott of the election since the Donoughmore Constitution didn't grant dominion status to Ceylon.^[3] Consequently no nominations were received in four constituencies in the north of the country (Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Kayts and Point Pedro).^[3] In addition, nine other constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote.^[3] Elections in the remaining 37 constituencies took place between 13 and 20 June 1931.

Elected members

The following were some of the elected members, by constituency:

• Anuradhapura, North Central Province - H. R. Freeman, polled 8,311 votes.^[4]
• Avissawella, Western Province - Forester Augustus Obeysekera, polled 7,424 votes.^[4]
• Badulla, Uva Province - D. H. Kotelawala, elected unopposed.^[4]
• Bandarawela, Uva Province - A. Fellowes Gordon, polled 9,097 votes.^[4]
• Batticaloa South, Eastern Province - H. Mohamed Macan Markar.^[5]
• Batticaloa-Trincomalee, Eastern Province - Mudaliyar Mylvaganam Subramanian.^[3]
• Bibile, Uva Province - G. C. Rambukpotha, elected unopposed.^[4]
• Colombo Central, Western Province - A. E. Goonesinha, Ceylon Labour Party, defeated T. B. Jaya.^[3]
• Colombo North, Western Province - Ratnajothi Saravanamuttu.^[5]
• Colombo South, Western Province - S. W. Dassenaike, Ceylon Labour Party.^[6]
• Galle, Southern Province - C. W. W. Kannangara.^[7]
• Hambantota, Southern Province - V. S. de S. Wikramanayake, polled 15,384 votes.^[8]
• Hatton, Central Province - Periannan Sundaram, elected unopposed.^[9]
• Horana, Western Province - E. W. Perera.^[10]
• Kelaniya, Western Province - Don Baron Jayatilaka, elected unopposed.^[11]
• Kurunegala, North Western Province - John Kotelawala.^[12]
• Mannar-Mullaitivu, Northern Province - Mudaliyar Anantham Seemanpillai, defeated G. G. Ponnambalam.^[3][5]
• Minuwangoda, Western Province - Don Stephen Senanayake, elected unopposed.^[13]
• Morawaka, Southern Province - S. A. Wickremasinghe.^[14]
• Ruwanwella, Sabaragamuwa Province - Adline Molamure, elected unopposed.^[14]
• Talawakele, Central Province - S. P. Vythilingham.^[3]
• Trincomalee, Eastern Province - M. M. Subramanium.^[5]
• Veyangoda, Western Province - S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, elected unopposed.^[15]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

On 26 June 1931 Governor Edward Barnes nominated eight members to the State Council.^[3]

By elections

In 1934 by-elections were held for the four vacant seats in the north.^[5] The following candidates were elected:

• Jaffna, Northern Province - Arunachalam Mahadeva.^[5]
• Kankesanthurai, Northern Province - Subaiya Nadesan.^[5]
• Kayts, Northern Province - Nevins Selvadurai.^[5]
• Point Pedro, Northern Province - G. G. Ponnambalam.^[5]

References

1. ^ "Dates of Elections". Handbook of Parliament. Parliament of Sri Lanka. http://www.parliament.lk/handbook_of_parliament/election_dates.jsp. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
2. ^ A. Jeyaratnam Wilson. Electoral politics in an emergent state: the Ceylon general election of May 1970. Cambridge University Press. pp. 45. ISBN 9781001327129. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qes8AAAAIAAJ. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} K T Rajasingham (22 September 2001). "Chapter 7: State Councils - elections and boycotts". SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY. Asia Times. http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CI22Df02.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} M. Sarath K. Munasinghe (31 March 2004). "Political clergymen of the past". The Island, Sri Lanka. http://www.island.lk/2004/03/31/opinio02.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} T.D.S.A.Dissanayake. "Chapter 1: Was early universal franchise a disaster?". War or Peace.... Sangam. http://www.sangam.org/ANALYSIS/DissanayakaChap1.htm. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
6. ^ Ananda E. Goonesinha (22 April 2004). "Traversed new paths making History". Sunday Island, Sri Lanka. http://www.island.lk/2007/04/22/features3.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
7. ^ "C.W.W. Kannangara: Father of free education". Daily News, Sri Lanka. 24 September 2003. http://www.dailynews.lk/2003/09/24/fea09.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
8. ^ Wijesinghe, Sam (25 December 2005). "People and State Power". Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka. http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2005/12/25/fea104.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
9. ^ K T Rajasingham (29 September 2001). "Chapter 8: Pan Sinhalese board of ministers - A Sinhalese ploy". SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY. Asia Times. http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CI29Df03.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
10. ^ "Vital document hidden in a shoe". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 25 January 2004. http://sundaytimes.lk/040125/funday/2.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
11. ^ Jayaweera, Stanley (18 July 2001). "Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka — a great legacy". The Island, Sri Lanka. http://www.island.lk/2001/07/18/midwee08.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
12. ^ Fernando, Shemal. "Sir John Lionel Kotelawala". Lanka Library. http://www.lankalibrary.com/pol/kotelawala.htm. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
13. ^ L. M. Samarasinghe (14 November 2002). "Book on "Agriculture and patriotism"". Daily News, Sri Lanka. http://www.dailynews.lk/2002/11/14/fea11.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
14. ^ ^{a b} Wijenayake, Walter (20 December 2008). "Lanka Sama Samaja Party, 73 not out". The Island, Sri Lanka. http://www.island.lk/2008/12/20/features4.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010. 
15. ^ Wijenayake, Walter (26 September 2008). "S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike- trail-blazing leader". The Island, Sri Lanka. http://www.island.lk/2008/09/26/features3.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010.