Ceylonese State Council election, 1931
Encyclopedia
The first election to the State Council of Ceylon
were held from 13 to 20 June 1931. This was the first election in a British colony
which used universal adult franchise
.
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. 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. Consequently no nominations were received in four constituencies in the north of the country (Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Kayts and Point Pedro). In addition, nine other constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote. Elections in the remaining 37 constituencies took place between 13 and 20 June 1931.
On 26 June 1931 Governor Edward Barnes
nominated eight members to the State Council.
s were held for the four vacant seats in the north. The following candidates were elected:
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
were held from 13 to 20 June 1931. This was the first election in a British colony
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
which used universal adult franchise
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
.
Background
In 1931 the Donoughmore ConstitutionDonoughmore Constitution
The Donoughmore Constitution, created by the Donoughmore Commission, served Sri Lanka from 1931 to 1947 when it was replaced by the Soulbury Constitution....
replaced the Legislative Council of Ceylon
Legislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of representative government in the island...
with the State Council of Ceylon as the legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
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. The Jaffna Youth Congress
Jaffna Youth Congress
The Jaffna Youth Congress, was the first of Sri Lanka's Youth Leagues. It was influenced by the Indian Independence Movement, was secular and committed to Poorana Swaraj , national unity and the eradication of inequalities imposed by caste....
, an organistion that campaigned for Ceylon independence, called for a boycott of the election since the Donoughmore Constitution didn't grant dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
status to Ceylon. Consequently no nominations were received in four constituencies in the north of the country (Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Kayts and Point Pedro). In addition, nine other constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote. 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:- AnuradhapuraAnuradhapuraAnuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
, North Central ProvinceNorth Central Province, Sri LankaNorth Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka. Its capital is Anuradhapura. The province is not densely populated with a weak economy, as the land tends to be dry tropical woodlands.-History:...
- H. R. Freeman, polled 8,311 votes. - AvissawellaAvissawellaAvissawella, also known as Seethawakapura or Seethawaka, is a town along the A4 route from Colombo on the Western Coast to Kalmunai in the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka via Ratnapura, Pelmadulla, Balangoda and Wellawaya.- Overview :...
, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- Forester Augustus ObeysekeraForester Augustus ObeysekeraSir Forester Augustus Obeysekera was a prominent colonial era legislator from Ceylon. He was the Speaker of the State Council of Ceylon and a member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon....
, polled 7,424 votes. - BadullaBadullaBadulla , is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Badulla is located 60 km southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about 680 metres above sea level and is surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains, most of which have tea plantations.-Geography:It is located on the...
, Uva ProvinceUva ProvinceUva is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with 1,187,335 people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts: Badulla බදුල්ල பதுளை and Moneragala මොනරාගල மொனராகல. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by Eastern, Southern and Central provinces...
- D. H. Kotelawala, elected unopposed. - BandarawelaBandarawelaBandarawela is the second largest city in Badulla District which is 28 km away from Badulla. Due to higher altitude, Bandarawela has a mild weather condition throughout the year hence, it is popular among the citizens to spend the vacations with their family members...
, Uva ProvinceUva ProvinceUva is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with 1,187,335 people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts: Badulla බදුල්ල பதுளை and Moneragala මොනරාගල மொனராகல. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by Eastern, Southern and Central provinces...
- A. Fellowes Gordon, polled 9,097 votes. - BatticaloaBatticaloaBatticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
South, Eastern ProvinceEastern Province, Sri LankaThe Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- H. Mohamed Macan Markar. - BatticaloaBatticaloaBatticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
-TrincomaleeTrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Eastern ProvinceEastern Province, Sri LankaThe Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- Mudaliyar Mylvaganam Subramanian. - BibileBibileBibile is a town in Sri Lanka in the Bibile Divisional Secretariat, of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Bibile's land is important to Sri Lankan agriculture. It was well known for oranges, though still oranges grown there the original variety 'Bibile Sweet is no longer in existence...
, Uva ProvinceUva ProvinceUva is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with 1,187,335 people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts: Badulla බදුල්ල பதுளை and Moneragala මොනරාගල மொனராகல. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by Eastern, Southern and Central provinces...
- G. C. Rambukpotha, elected unopposed. - ColomboColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
Central, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- A. E. GoonesinhaA. E. GoonesinhaAlexander Ekanayake Goonesinha was a pioneering trade union leader known as the "Father of the Labour Movement" in Sri Lanka. He was the founder of the Ceylon Labor Party, Sri Lanka's first labor organization and was the First Ceylonese Mayor of Colombo. A. E...
, Ceylon Labour Party, defeated T. B. Jaya. - ColomboColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
North, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- Ratnajothi Saravanamuttu. - ColomboColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
South, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- S. W. Dassenaike, Ceylon Labour Party. - GalleGalleGalle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, Southern ProvinceSouthern Province, Sri LankaThe Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
- C. W. W. Kannangara. - HambantotaHambantotaHambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...
, Southern ProvinceSouthern Province, Sri LankaThe Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
- V. S. de S. Wikramanayake, polled 15,384 votes. - HattonHatton, Sri LankaHatton , is a small town in Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is known for its Ceylon tea plantations and industry. Hatton, which is locally administered by Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council, had 14,255 in population according to the census carried out in 2001. The town is...
, Central Province - Periannan Sundaram, elected unopposed. - HoranaHoranaHorana is a town in Kalutara District, in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is on the road from Panadura to Ratnapura. It is located in 42 Km away from Colombo and 18 Km away from Panadura....
, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- E. W. PereraE. W. PereraEdward Walter Perera was a Ceylonese barrister, politician and freedom fighter. He was known as the 'Lion of Kotte' and was a prominent figure in the Sri Lankan independence movement and a Senator....
. - KelaniyaKelaniyaKelaniya is a small town near Colombo, Sri Lanka in the Gampaha District. It is known for the Buddhist temple built on the banks of the Kelani River, which runs through the town...
, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- Don Baron JayatilakaDon Baron JayatilakaSir Don Baron Jayatilaka was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician and diplomat....
, elected unopposed. - KurunegalaKurunegalaKurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...
, North Western ProvinceNorth Western Province, Sri LankaNorth Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...
- John KotelawalaJohn KotelawalaGeneral Sir John Lionel Kotelawala, KBE, CH, KStJ, CLI was a Sri Lankan soldier and politician, most notable for serving as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956....
. - MannarMannar, Sri LankaMannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
-MullaitivuMullaitivuMullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between...
, Northern ProvinceNorthern Province, Sri LankaThe Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- Mudaliyar Anantham Seemanpillai, defeated G. G. PonnambalamG. G. PonnambalamGanapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam , known as G.G. Ponnambalam, was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician in British Ceylon, and then after independence, in Ceylon. He founded the first Sri Lankan Tamil political party, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ponnambalam stood for the principle of minority...
. - MinuwangodaMinuwangodaMinuwangoda is a town and Urban Council in Gampaha District in the Western Province of Sri Lanka...
, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- Don Stephen SenanayakeDon Stephen SenanayakeDon Stephen Senanayake was an independence activist who served as the first Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1947 to 1952.-Early life:...
, elected unopposed. - Morawaka, Southern ProvinceSouthern Province, Sri LankaThe Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
- S. A. Wickremasinghe. - Ruwanwella, Sabaragamuwa ProvinceSabaragamuwa ProvinceSabaragamuwa, is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. Sabaragamuwa University is in Belihuloya. It is named after its former indigenous inhabitants, namely the Sabara, an indic term for hunter gatherer tribes, a term seldom used in ancient Sri...
- Adline Molamure, elected unopposed. - TalawakeleTalawakeleTalawakele is a town in Nuwara Eliya District in Sri Lanka. It is the center of Dimbula tea planting district, the largest tea growing area in Sri Lanka. It is situated on A7 Avissawella-Nuwara Eliya highway. The altitude of Talawakele is 3,932 feet. Talawakele railway station is one of the major...
, Central Province - S. P. Vythilingham. - TrincomaleeTrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Eastern ProvinceEastern Province, Sri LankaThe Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- M. M. Subramanium. - Veyangoda, Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, elected unopposed.
On 26 June 1931 Governor Edward Barnes
Edward Barnes (British Army officer)
Lieutenant General Sir Edward Barnes, GCB was a British soldier who became governor of Ceylon.-Military career:Barnes joined the 47th Regiment of Foot in 1792, and quickly rose to field rank. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1807, serving in the Invasion of Martinique in 1809, and colonel...
nominated eight members to the State Council.
By elections
In 1934 by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s were held for the four vacant seats in the north. The following candidates were elected:
- JaffnaJaffnaJaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, Northern ProvinceNorthern Province, Sri LankaThe Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- Arunachalam MahadevaArunachalam MahadevaSir Arunachalam Mahadeva, KCMG was a Sri Lankan, prominent colonial era legislator and diplomat. He was Minister of Home Affaires of the State Council and Ceylon's High Commissioner to India....
. - KankesanthuraiKankesanthuraiKankesanthurai or KKS , is a town with a harbour in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna. It is the location of the Sri Lanka Navy naval base, SLNS Uttara. At present it is in the High Security Zone declared by the security forces of Sri Lanka. India helps in port's restoration...
, Northern ProvinceNorthern Province, Sri LankaThe Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- Subaiya NadesanSubaiya NadesanSubaiya Nadesapillai also known as S. Nadesan was the son-in-law of Ponnambalam Ramanathan and a Tamil senator from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. He was a United National Party candidate and defeated Samuel Chelvanayakam in the 1952 Jaffna elections, after losing to him in the 1947 elections from...
. - KaytsKaytsKayts , is one of the important villages in Velanai Island which is a small island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka. There are number of other villages within the Velanai Island such as Allaipiddy, Mankumpan, Velanai, Saravanai, Puliyankoodal, Suruvil, Naranthanai and...
, Northern ProvinceNorthern Province, Sri LankaThe Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- Nevins Selvadurai. - Point PedroPoint PedroPoint Pedro is the northernmost town of the island of Sri Lanka. The agriculturally active area around Point Pedro with fertile calcic red latosols is known for its cotton production. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a 3-mile-broad beach with huge sand dunes up to 100 feet height, extending...
, Northern ProvinceNorthern Province, Sri LankaThe Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
- G. G. PonnambalamG. G. PonnambalamGanapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam , known as G.G. Ponnambalam, was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician in British Ceylon, and then after independence, in Ceylon. He founded the first Sri Lankan Tamil political party, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ponnambalam stood for the principle of minority...
.