The Changing Face of Electoral Politics in Sri Lanka, 1994-2004

Download or read book The Changing Face of Electoral Politics in Sri Lanka, 1994-2004 written by Laksiri Jayasuriya and published by Cavendish Square Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sri Lanka has been through turbulent times, overcome by a devastating civil war, yet able to sustain a system of parliamentary government. This study recounts a critical decade of electoral politics in Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2004, situated in the context of a militant ethnic conflict, that includes four General Elections and a Presidential election. The new politics of Sri Lanka, evident in this decade, is marked by a party system that is increasingly fractured, a politics increasingly divided over symbolic cultural issues, and the tension inherent in a mixed executive system. The coalitional dynamics of this new politics represents a decisive break with the welfarist politics of the post-independence period evolved within the Westminster system, a legacy of the colonial past. In a Postscript, Jayasuriya examines the politics of tsunami as it impacts on the critical fault lines of Sir Lankan politics in the North, East and South as well as the neo-geopolitics. This volume will be essential to anyone interested in Sri Lanka's unique experience as a third-world country with democratic political processes and instruments for over five decades.