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1 1 (June 3, 2016)

handle is hein.crs/govcdyx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. ' riE SE-.$ri ,,,- i Sri Lanka: Reform and Reconciliation Since January 2015, there has been a fundamental shift in Sri Lanka's domestic politics. This shift raises the possibility for deeper United States' engagement. Sri Lanka's civil war between the Sinhalese majority government troops and the forces of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) ended in 2009 after 26 years, having claimed over 100,000 lives. U.S.-Sri Lankan relations deteriorated during the closing phase of the war, under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Disagreements between the United States and Sri Lanka stemmed from concern over how the Sri Lanka government fought the LTTE, particularly in the final phase of the war. United States, Western, and Indian concerns over human rights had the effect of causing Sri Lanka, under former President Rajapaksa, to turn to China for assistance as it pressed what was viewed by many as a ruthless military solution to defeat the LTTE. In presidential and parliamentary elections in January and August 2015, voters ousted the Rajapaksa regime and brought President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to power in a national unity government. Supporters of the new government assert that this has created opportunities for Sri Lanka to strengthen democratic institutions through constitutional reform, move forward with efforts to ameliorate ethnic conflict and achieve reconciliation with the Tamil minority, reestablish close ties with the West, and rebalance its relationship with India and China. The island nation of Sri Lanka, until 1972 known as Ceylon, located off the southeastern tip of India, has a Sinhalese Buddhist majority (74.9%) and a minority Tamil population (15.4%). This ethnic and religious division has been the basis of much socio-political conflict in Sri Lankan society. There are also smaller Muslim Moor (9.2%) and Christian minorities. Ceylon attained dominion status from Great Britain in 1948 and became fully independent as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. Its 22 million inhabitants enjoy relatively high levels of development for South Asia with a per capita GDP of $12,119 and a projected growth rate of 5.7% in 2016. Sri Lanka's key exports include textiles and apparel, tea and spices, rubber manufactures, precious stones and coconut products. Its key export partners are the United States (25%), the United Kingdom (10.2%), India (5.7%), Italy (5.6%), and Germany (4.6%). The two main political parties are the United National Party (UNP), which leads the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) coalition, and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which leads the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition. The constitution of 1972 made protection of Buddhism a constitutional principle. The constitution of 1978 created a strong executive presidency. r oces, Sri Lanka is in the midst of a political and constitutional reform process that has the potential to transform Sri Lanka's political system and reinvigorate its democratic institutions. In one common view, a third term for former President Rajapaksa would have robbed Sri Lanka's democracy of whatever little vigor was left in it. President Sirisena's presidential victory over former President Rajapaksa in January 2015 was reaffirmed by parliamentary elections in August 2015. These parliamentary elections brought Prime Minister Wickremesinghe of the United National Party to office. The UNP-led coalition won 106 of 225 seats in parliament. It formed a unity government with support from some members of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The Sri Lankan Freedom Party, which includes both Sirisena and Raj apaksa factions, forms a key part of the UPFA. The UPFA as a whole secured 95 seats. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with 16 seats leads the formal opposition. Sirisena was a Health Minister in Raj apaksa's government before deciding to join the coalition opposing him. President Sirisena campaigned on a promise of reducing the powers of the executive presidency and returning Sri Lanka to a parliamentary democracy. In April 2015, the Sri Lankan parliament passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which reduces the powers of the executive presidency. The amendment reduces the term of office for the president and parliament to five years from six previously. The 19th Amendment also reintroduces the two term limit for president and allows the president to dissolve parliament only after four and a half years instead of after one year as was previously the case. Sirisena has indicated he favors further devolution of presidential powers to the parliament. In March 2016, the parliament adopted a resolution to take on the role of Constitutional Assembly to draft a new constitution. It is considering a number of reforms including the abolition of the executive presidency and electoral reforms, which could include a switch to a Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, among other proposals under consideration. The Prevention of Terrorism Act, under which police can detain suspects for extended periods without filing charges against them, is also under review. The TNA is looking for a federal solution within an undivided Sri Lanka based on a merger of the north and eastern provinces. Opposition to the Constitutional resolution led to the removal of a preamble that discussed providing a constitutional resolution of the Tamil question. While some reforms have been achieved, some analysts K~:> June 3, 2016 p\w -- , gmmw' goo mppm qq\ a , q 's I 11LINUALiN,

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