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93-545: Construction of the power station began in November 2007, and progressed in two phases, with the first 200 MW phase completing in a record 10 months, and the second phase completing later in February 2010 . Phase 1 of the power station was ceremonially inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapakse on 8 December 2008. The US$ 300 million power station was supported by a € 152 million debt component through HSBC , which

186-460: A governor-general ) formally appoints as the head of government whoever commands the confidence of the lower or sole house of the legislature and invites him or her to form a government. In the UK, this is known as kissing hands . Although the dissolution of the legislature and the call for new elections is formally performed by the head of state, the head of state, by convention, acts according to

279-563: A pardon . The president has immunity from both civil and criminal proceedings. The president has the power to commission public inquires by appointing a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate any issue. President of Sri Lanka is the nation's Chief Diplomat. Through this role, they are responsible for carrying out negotiations with foreign leaders and their governments and appoint diplomatic agents . The president has an important ceremonial role in terms of state ceremonies, functions, and awarding state awards. Most notable would be

372-476: A parliamentary republic like India, the president is the de jure executive, even though executive powers are essentially instituted by the prime minister and the Council of Ministers . In Israel , however, executive power is vested de jure and de facto in the cabinet and the president is de jure and de facto a ceremonial figurehead. As an example, the prime minister and cabinet (as

465-420: A semi-parliamentary system . The Westminster system has a very distinct appearance when functioning, with many British customs incorporated into day-to-day government function. A Westminster-style parliament is usually a long, rectangular room, with two rows of seats and desks on either side. Many chambers connect the opposing rows, either with a perpendicular row of seats and desks at the furthermost point from

558-891: A concept was reinforced in The English Constitution (1876) by Walter Bagehot , who distinguished between the separate "dignified" and "efficient" functions of government. The sovereign should be a focal point for the nation ("dignified"), while the PM and cabinet actually undertook executive decisions ("efficient"). The electoral system is often set out in a Representation of the People Act . Common ministerial titles include parliamentary secretary and under-secretary . Ministers are supported by private secretaries and government departments are run by permanent secretaries , principal secretaries or chief secretaries . The head of state or their representative (such as

651-533: A consultative body. In other Westminster countries, however, the upper house can sometimes exercise considerable power, as is the case for the Australian Senate. Some Westminster-derived parliaments are unicameral for two reasons: Hong Kong , a former British crown colony and currently a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China , has a unicameral Legislative Council . While

744-515: A federal government at any time, loss of supply is sometimes, controversially, considered a suitable trigger for a dismissal (such as with the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis ). This is controversial because it conflicts with the Westminster tradition of government by a party with the confidence of the lower house (not an upper house like the Senate). Some political scientists have held that

837-639: A hybrid system (like South Africa ) as their form of government. The Westminster system of government may include some of the following features: Most of the procedures of the Westminster system originated with the conventions , practices, and precedents of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , which form a part of what is known as the Constitution of the United Kingdom . Unlike the uncodified British constitution, most countries that use

930-403: A limited parliamentary council . This amendment was introduced by president Mahinda Rajapaksa and he later went on to run for a third term of presidency in 2015 , wherein he was defeated by Maithripala Sirisena . The 19th Constitutional Amendment undid much of the changes done by the 18th Amendment. The two-term limit was restored by president Maithripala Sirisena. The amendment required

1023-463: A power similar to that held in the UK until 1911 by the House of Lords , which has since then been impossible, in the Westminster system. A government that has lost supply is severely restricted in its abilities to act; unless a solution can be negotiated and supply can be restored, such an occurrence would normally trigger a federal election. Since the governor-general , technically speaking, can dismiss

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1116-511: A two-thirds majority in Parliament. The president may declare war and peace. They can place the country or any part under a state of emergency , under which they can override any law passed and promulgate any regulation without needing legislative approval. However, to prolong the state of emergency for more than 6 months, parliamentary approval is needed. In case of external invasion, a state of national defense can be proclaimed, which allows

1209-614: Is a president who functions similarly to a governor-general. An unusual case lies in Israel and Japan , where the respective prime ministers have the full legal power to implement executive decisions, and presidential (in Israel) or imperial (in Japan) approval is not required; the prime ministers of these nations are fully the de jure source of executive authority, and not the head of state. The head of state will often hold meetings with

1302-687: Is elected by Popular vote and shall hold the office for 6 years and is eligible to serve two terms. According to the Article 31 (3A) of the Constitution, The Term of office starts from the Date of the Inauguration of the President and he can call an early Presidential election after expiration of 4 years of his first term. If the elected President did not call can early Presidential election,

1395-462: Is elected to office in a presidential election held nationwide for a five-year term. An elected president can serve for a maximum of two terms, with each term taking effect from the date of taking a public oath of office for the elected term. The President of Sri Lanka is elected through a system of limited ranked voting . Voters can express up to three ranked preferences for the presidency. If no candidate receives more than 50% of all valid votes in

1488-508: Is exceptional because the government faces a fully elected upper house, the Senate , which must be willing to pass all its legislation. Although government is formed in the lower house, the House of Representatives, the support of the Senate is necessary in order to govern. The Australian Senate is unusual in that it maintains an ability to withhold supply from the government of the day –

1581-588: Is imminent, a lot of time is taken up in the conversations of politicians and in the news media, speculating on who will, or will not, be moved in and out of the Cabinet by the Prime Minister, because the appointment of ministers to the Cabinet, and threat of dismissal from the Cabinet, is the single most powerful constitutional power which a Prime Minister has in the political control of the Government in

1674-632: Is obliged to resign, e.g., when a re-elected Legislative Council passes again a bill that he or she had refused to sign. The waters of the Thames and of the Potomac both flow into Lake Burley Griffin . Australian constitutional law is, in many respects, a unique hybrid with influences from the United States Constitution as well as from the traditions and conventions of the Westminster system and some indigenous features. Australia

1767-450: Is ranked at the level of a cabinet minister in the order of precedence . Apart from a bar of standing for election for a third term as President, a former President has no restriction from holding any other office. While most Presidents retired from public life after their tenure, Mahinda Rajapaksa continued to engage in active politics after his term in office, serving as a Member of Parliament for Kurunegala from 2015 to 2024, Leader of

1860-676: Is the 10th and current president, having assumed office on 23 September 2024, after being declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election . Under the Soulbury Constitution which consisted of the Ceylon Independence Act of 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947, Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known then) became a constitutional monarchy with a Westminster parliamentary form of government. The monarch of Ceylon served as

1953-476: Is usually where ministers or members of the house come to speak. Other ceremonies sometimes associated with the Westminster system include an annual Speech from the Throne (or equivalent thereof) in which the head of state gives a special address (written by the government) to parliament about what kind of policies to expect in the coming year, and lengthy State Opening of Parliament ceremonies that often involve

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2046-511: The de facto executive body in the system) generally must seek the permission of the head of state when carrying out executive functions. If, for instance the British prime minister wished to dissolve Parliament in order for a general election to take place, the prime minister is constitutionally bound to request permission from the sovereign in order to attain such a wish. However, the sovereign in modern times has virtually always followed

2139-676: The Assassination of then President Premadasa and again in 2022, after the resignation of President Rajapaksa . In both times, they were succeeded by then Prime Ministers; D. B. Wijetunga in 1993 and Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2022. At the time of the Creation of office in 1972, the term of the office of the President was a term of six years. After the Introduction of the Executive Presidency in 1978, The President

2232-699: The Australian system of government was consciously devised as a blend or hybrid of the Westminster and the United States systems of government , especially since the Australian Senate is a powerful upper house like the US Senate; this notion is expressed in the nickname "the Washminster mutation". The ability of upper houses to block supply also features in the parliaments of most Australian states . The Australian system has also been referred to as

2325-404: The Constitution of Sri Lanka and to reduce the powers of the President. After Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected president by the parliament. In October 2022, the 21st Constitutional Amendment was introduced as plan to empower the parliament over the executive president and curbs some of the powers of the president. Under the 21st Amendment,

2418-680: The Governor remained the head of government until the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, when the role was replaced by the Chief Executive . Secretaries had remained to be chosen by the Chief Executive not from the Legislative Council, and their appointments need not be approved by the Legislative Council. Although essentially more presidential than parliamentary, the Legislative Council had inherited many elements of

2511-503: The House of Commons (under various names), comprising local, elected representatives of the people (with the only exception being elected entirely by nationwide Proportional Representation). Most also have a smaller upper house, which is made up of members chosen by various methods: In the UK, the lower house is the de facto legislative body, while the upper house practices restraint in exercising its constitutional powers and serves as

2604-620: The Sri Lanka Armed Forces . The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, in addition to their relation with the Prime minister and Government of Sri Lanka , have over time differed with the various constitutional documents since the creation of the office. The president appoints the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka who can command the confidence of the Parliament of Sri Lanka . Anura Kumara Dissanayake

2697-424: The head of state , represented by the governor-general with the prime minister serving as the head of government . The governor-general replaced the position of the Governor of British Ceylon , who had previously exercised executive control over the entire island since 1815. In 1972, the new Republican Constitution declared Sri Lanka a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state. The president

2790-462: The presidential system that originated in the United States , or with the semi-presidential system, based on the government of France . The Westminster system is used, or was once used, in the national and subnational legislatures of most former colonies of the British Empire , upon gaining self-government (with the exception of the United States and Cyprus ), beginning with

2883-464: The presidential yacht . President's Security Division (PSD) is the main unit charged with the close protection of the President of Sri Lanka. During President Mahinda Rajapakse 's time in office the specialized Army unit the ' President's Guard ' was formed for Presidential Security. Prior to the formation of the President's Guard, army personnel served as a squadron under the President's Security Division since 1996 and focused on key tasks including

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2976-608: The prime minister , cabinet and non-cabinet ministers , provincial governors , public officers , ambassadors and commissioned officers of the armed forces. The president may also appoint secretaries, officers, and staff. The president would have the power to appoint and remove, the chief justice , justices of the Supreme Court , justices of the Court of Appeal and judges of the High Court . The president may grant

3069-463: The secretary to the president (also known as the president's secretary ), who is the most senior civil servant in the country. The president has the ability to appoint any number of advisers as presidential advisers . The highest-ranking of which is known as senior advisers . During his tenure, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed 38 advisers. The chief of staff is the highest-ranking officer that handles presidential staff.Currently

3162-402: The Cabinet are collectively seen as responsible for government policy, a policy termed cabinet collective responsibility . All Cabinet decisions are made by consensus, a vote is rarely taken in a Cabinet meeting. All ministers, whether senior and in the Cabinet, or junior ministers, must support the policy of the government publicly regardless of any private reservations. When a Cabinet reshuffle

3255-554: The Legislative Councils in British Australasian and North American colonies were unelected upper houses and some of them had since abolished themselves, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong has remained the sole chamber and had in 1995 evolved into a fully elected house, yet only part of the seats are returned by universal suffrage. Responsible government was never granted during British colonial rule, and

3348-570: The Opposition from 2018 to 2019, and Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022; while Sirisena served as Member of Parliament for Polonnaruwa from 2020 to 2024. Westminster system The Westminster system , or Westminster model , is a type of parliamentary government that incorporates a series of procedures for operating a legislature , first developed in England . Key aspects of the system include an executive branch made up of members of

3441-484: The President, Cabinet of Ministers and National Council are all held accountable to the parliament. Fifteen Committees and Oversight Committees are also accountable to parliament. One of the key provisions in 21st Amendment is disqualifying dual-citizens from contesting in elections in Sri Lanka . The article 31 Constitution of Sri Lanka sets the following qualifications for holding the presidency: The president

3534-474: The Private Secretary to the President. A window of a former president is entitled to a monthly secretarial allowance, equal to the current salary of the Private Secretary to a cabinet minister . A former president and the widow of a former president are entitled to official transport and all such other facilities provided to a cabinet minister. A former President or the widow of a former president

3627-489: The Speaker's Chair at the opposite end of the chamber (e.g. UK House of Lords or Israel Knesset) or the rows of chairs and desks are rounded at the end, opposite to the Speaker's Chair (e.g. Australian chambers, Ireland, South Africa, India). The chairs in which both the government and opposition sit, are positioned so that the two rows are facing each other. This arrangement is said to have derived from an early Parliament which

3720-465: The Westminster system have codified the system, at least in part, in a written constitution . However, uncodified conventions, practices, and precedents continue to play a significant role in most countries, as many constitutions do not specify important elements of procedure. For example, some older constitutions using the Westminster system do not mention the existence of the cabinet or the prime minister, because these offices were taken for granted by

3813-495: The Westminster system, including parliamentary powers, privileges and immunity, and the right to conduct inquiries, amongst others. Minutes are known as Hansards, and the theme colour of the meeting chamber is red as in other upper houses. Government secretaries and other officials are seated on the right hand side of the President in the chamber. The Chief Executive may dissolve the Legislative Council under certain conditions, and

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3906-416: The Westminster system. The Official Opposition and other major political parties not in the Government, will mirror the governmental organisation with their own Shadow Cabinet made up of Shadow Ministers . In a Westminster system, some members of parliament are elected by popular vote, while others are appointed. Nearly all Westminster-based parliaments have a lower house with powers based on those of

3999-541: The administrative functions of the presidency and other ministerial portfolios that are held by the president. Initially located at President's House , the staff of the office of the president grew with the establishment of the executive presidency and moved into the former Parliament building in Colombo in the 1980s which now hosts the Presidential Secretariat. The Presidential Secretariat is headed by

4092-519: The advice of their prime minister without their own agency, this owes to the fact that the British sovereign is a constitutional monarch ; he or she abides by the advice of his or her ministers, except when executing reserve powers in times of crisis. The sovereign's power to appoint and dismiss governments, appoint cabinet ministers to serve in the government, appoint diplomats , declare war , and to sign treaties (among other powers de jure held by

4185-609: The authors of these constitutions. Sometimes these conventions, reserve powers , and other influences collide in times of crisis and in such times the weaknesses of the unwritten aspects of the Westminster system, as well as the strengths of the Westminster system's flexibility, are put to the test. As an illustrative example, in the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 , the Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr , dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and replaced him with opposition leader Malcolm Fraser . Usually

4278-437: The cabinet as a whole, along with more junior ministers , however, in effect, the head of government dominates the executive as the head of government is ultimately the person from whom the head of state will take advice (by constitutional convention) on the exercise of executive power , including the appointment and dismissal of cabinet members. This results in the situation where individual cabinet members in effect serve at

4371-409: The case when the president is unable to perform their duties, their powers are temporarily transferred to the prime minister until confirmed by Parliament. According to the Article 40 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka , "If the office of President shall become vacant prior to the expiration of his term of office, Parliament shall elect as President one of its Members who is qualified to be elected to

4464-566: The commencement of his first term of office, by Proclamation, declare his intention of appealing to the People for a mandate to hold office, by election, for a second term.” But "A person succeeding to the office of the President under the provisions of article 40 of the constitution shall not be entitled to exercise the right conferred above." Succession to or vacancies in the office of president may arise under several possible circumstances: death or incapacity, resignation, or removal from office. In

4557-534: The consolidated fund. It was increased from LKR 25,000 (≈ $ 500) to LKR 100,000 in 2006. By tradition, the president and past presidents are not subjected to income tax . This practice dates back to the pre-republic era when the crown was not subject to tax . In 2018, this practice was changed with the Inland Revenue Bill which removed the tax exemption given to the President. The president has immunity from both civil or criminal proceedings, during

4650-500: The controversial agreement. President of Sri Lanka [REDACTED] The president of Sri Lanka ( Sinhala : ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති Śrī Lankā Janādhipathi ; Tamil : இலங்கை ஜனாதிபதி Ilankai janātipati ) is the head of state and head of government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka . The president is the chief executive of the union government and the commander-in-chief of

4743-439: The day. In India, the prime minister is constitutionally bound to hold regular sessions with the president, in a similar manner to the aforementioned British practice. In essence, the head of state, as the theoretical executive authority, "reigns but does not rule". This phrase means that the head of state's role in government is generally ceremonial and as a result does not directly institute executive powers. The reserve powers of

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4836-479: The elite Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lanka Police . After the oath of office has been taken by the elected president, a presidential flag was adopted by the president as the insignia of their office. Each president had a unique standard, incorporating traditional symbols associated with the president or their home region. This was the case until Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe abolished

4929-418: The first count, all candidates except the two who received the highest number of votes are eliminated. The second and third preference votes of the eliminated candidates are then redistributed to the remaining two candidates until one of them secures an outright majority. Article 31 (3A)(a)(i) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, states that, the "President may, at any time after the expiration of four years from

5022-568: The first of the Canadian provinces in 1848 and the six Australian colonies between 1855 and 1890. It is the form of government bequeathed to New Zealand , and former British Hong Kong . Israel adopted a largely Westminster-inspired system of government upon declaring independence from the British Mandate of Palestine . However, some former colonies have since adopted either the presidential system ( Nigeria for example) or

5115-462: The floor in front of the government and opposition benches that members may cross only when exiting the chamber. At one end of the room sits a large chair, for the Speaker of the House . The speaker usually wears black robes, and in some countries, a wig . Robed parliamentary clerks often sit at narrow tables between the two rows of seats, as well. These narrow tables in the centre of the chamber,

5208-479: The following: One of five countries other than the UK to use a Westminster system with a native monarch , along with Japan, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Thailand. One of five countries other than the UK to use a Westminster system with a native monarch , along with Denmark, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Thailand. One of five countries other than the UK to use a Westminster system with a native monarch , along with Denmark, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. The Westminster system

5301-417: The formal powers of monarchs, governors-general, and presidents vary greatly from one country to another. However, as sovereigns and governors-general are not elected, and some presidents may not be directly elected by the people, they are often shielded from any public disapproval stemming from unilateral or controversial use of their powers. In many Commonwealth realms a governor-general formally represents

5394-537: The government extraordinary powers. Martial law can be declared in provinces under extraordinary conditions. Further, the President can dismiss both the national and state governments from power in 3 situations: corruption, treason, and inability to govern. The president has the right to attend Parliament once in every three months, but is not entitled to vote. They have the right to address or send messages to Parliament and to summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament. The president makes numerous appointments which include

5487-433: The government of Sri Lanka. The president would receive letter of credence from foreign ambassadors. The president may appoint provincial governors to head the provincial council and serve as their representative in the province. The president may also appoint any number of advisers as presidential advisers and coordinate secretaries to assist them. The president has the power to appoint senior attorneys-at-law to

5580-400: The head of government and cabinet, as a means of keeping abreast of governmental policy and as a means of advising, consulting and warning ministers in their actions. Such a practice takes place in the United Kingdom and India. In the UK, the sovereign holds confidential weekly meetings with the prime minister to discuss governmental policy and to offer his or her opinions and advice on issues of

5673-399: The head of state are sufficient to ensure compliance with some of their wishes. However, the extent of such powers varies from one country to another and is often a matter of controversy. Such an executive arrangement first emerged in the United Kingdom. Historically, the British sovereign held and directly exercised all executive authority. George I of Great Britain (reigned 1714 to 1727)

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5766-544: The individual. A widow of a former president would receive a monthly pension which the former president was entitled to drawn from the Consolidated Fund. As per the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986 , a former president or the widow of a former president is entitled to an official residence. A former president is entitled to a monthly secretarial allowance equal to the current salary of

5859-465: The leader of the largest party in the lower house (legislature if unicameral). Formed by the largest party/coalition in the lower house (legislature if unicameral), and led by the head of government. The pattern of executive functions within a Westminster system is quite complex. In essence, the head of state , usually a monarch or president, is a ceremonial figurehead who is the theoretical, nominal or de jure source of executive power within

5952-594: The legislature, and that is responsible to the legislature; the presence of parliamentary opposition parties; and a ceremonial head of state who is separate from the head of government . The term derives from the Palace of Westminster , which has been the seat of the Westminster Parliament in England and later the United Kingdom since the 13th century. The Westminster system is often contrasted with

6045-530: The monarch, who is usually absent from the realm. In such countries, the identity of the "head of state" may be unclear. In the book The English Constitution , Walter Bagehot emphasised the divide of the constitution into two components, the Dignified (that part which is symbolic) and the Efficient (the way things actually work and get done), and called the Efficient " Cabinet Government ". Members of

6138-525: The next Presidential election shall take place not more than two months and not less than one month before the expiration of the term of the incumbent President. 19th Amendment to the Constitution reduced the term of office to Five years and the Incumbent President can call an early Presidential election after the expiration of four years of his first term. Furthermore, Article 31 (3A) of the Constitution states that an any person succeeding to

6231-421: The office of President under the provisions of Article 40 shall not be entitled to exercise the right to call an early Presidential election and will hold the office till expiration of the term of his Predecessor. Duties of the president as described in the constitution are to: Presidents have little constraints on their power. The president shall be responsible to Parliament and can be impeached and removed by

6324-450: The office of President. Any person so succeeding to the office of President shall hold office only for the unexpired period of the term of office of the President vacating office. Until the election of a successor, the powers and functions of the office of the President will discharged by the Prime Minister in his capacity as Acting president ." Throughout the history, Office of the President has fallen vacant two times; first in 1993, after

6417-661: The owner of Yugadanavi power station along with the rights to develop a new LNG Terminal off the coast of Colombo that will supply LNG to the power plant. The agreement was approved by the Sri Lankan government allowing New Fortress Energy's investment in West Coast Power Ltd. Trade Unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) oppose the agreement and warned the Government of an islandwide power outage after 3 November if it fails to withdraw from

6510-409: The parliament passes a motion of no confidence , or refuses to pass an important bill such as the budget , then the government must either resign so that a different government can be appointed or seek a parliamentary dissolution so that new general elections may be held in order to re-confirm or deny the government's mandate. Executive authority within a Westminster system is de jure exercised by

6603-457: The perimeter security of the presidential residence, Temple Trees . 5th Regiment Sri Lanka Armored Corps was the first army unit chosen to be in the dedicated security of the president of Sri Lanka during the presidency of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga . However, in April 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved the President's Guard. Currently the president's security is provided by

6696-410: The pleasure of the prime minister. Thus the cabinet is strongly subordinate to the prime minister as they can be replaced at any time, or can be moved ("demoted") to a different portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle for "underperforming". In the United Kingdom, the sovereign theoretically holds executive authority, even though the prime minister and the cabinet effectively implement executive powers. In

6789-473: The position is vacant after Dissanayake took office in 2024. The president may appoint any number of coordinating secretaries to assist him/her. The president is the chair of the Board of Governors of the President's Fund which was established under the President's Fund Act No. 7 of 1978 to provide funds for relief of poverty, access to special healthcare, advancement of education or knowledge, advancement of

6882-406: The position of President's Counsel . The president may appoint officers from the armed forces to serve as their aide-de-camp as well as extra-aide-de-camp. Additionally, the president may appoint medical officers of the armed forces as Honorary Physician to the President and Honorary Surgeon to the President. The president receives a monthly salary (as of 2016) of LKR 100,000 (≈ $ 1,000) paid from

6975-460: The presentation of a large ceremonial mace . Some legislatures retain Westminster's colour-coded chambers, with the upper houses associated with the colour red (after the House of Lords) and the lower with green (after the House of Commons). This is the case in India, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Barbados. Countries that use variations on the theme of the Westminster system, as of 2023, include

7068-469: The president to consult the prime minister on ministerial appointments. It curtailed any president's immunity by making them liable to fundamental rights litigation on any official act. In 2022, the country caved into a severe economic crisis , and as result, mass anti-government protests erupted across Sri Lanka. The protesters demanded for then-incumbent president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government step down. The protestors also demanded amendments to

7161-675: The president uses the presidential state car , which is an armored black Mercedes-Benz S-Class (S600) Pullman Guard. For Domestic air travel, helicopters from the No. 4 (VVIP/VIP) Helicopter Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force are used. For foreign travel, Special or Regular Flights of the Sri Lankan Airlines are used. During ceremonial occasions, ships and boats of the Sri Lanka Navy have been commissioned as

7254-467: The presidential flag. The 'Attaché Case', Presidential Dispatch Bag carries important and secret documents wherever president is traveling. This was specifically designed by Sri Lanka Army . President will hand over the Dispatch Bag from one President to the next in line. The Presidential Secretariat is the government ministry that functions as the office and staff of the president, supporting

7347-458: The religion and culture, providing awards to persons who have served the nation and for any other purposes beneficial or of interest to the public. It is administered by the Presidential Secretariat. Under the Constitution of Sri Lanka, a former president will be granted a pension equal to the last pay drawn while in office drawn from the Consolidated Fund. This pension would be in addition to any other pension to which any prior service will entitle

7440-480: The sovereign personally in the United Kingdom are instead exercised by the governor-general . In such nations, the prime minister is obligated to formally seek permission from the governor-general when implementing executive decisions, in a manner similar to the British system. An analogous scenario also exists in republics in the Commonwealth of Nations , such as India or Trinidad and Tobago , where there

7533-482: The sovereign) is known as the royal prerogative , which in modern times is exercised by the sovereign solely on the advice of the Prime Minister. This custom also occurs in other countries are regions around the world using the Westminster System, as a legacy of British colonial rule . In Commonwealth realms such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the day-to-day functions that would be exercised by

7626-409: The system. In practice, such a figure does not actively exercise executive powers, even though executive authority is nominally exercised in their name. The head of government , usually called the prime minister or premier , will ideally have the support of a majority in the responsible house, and must, in any case, be able to ensure the existence of no absolute majority against the government. If

7719-517: The tenure of office and acts carried out during this period. The official residence of the president in Colombo is the President's House (formerly the Queen's House as the residence of the governor-general). The government pays for meals and staff. Other presidential residences include: In recent years from time to time Prime Minister's House , commonly referred to as Temple Trees , which has been

7812-493: The traditional throne speech delivered by the president to the parliament outlining the official policy statement of the new government to the parliament. The president would lead the independence day celebrations as well as other national ceremonies such as remembrance day , Wap Magul (ceremonial ploughing) and receive the Perahera Sandeshaya . National honours would be awarded by the president on behalf of

7905-464: The traditional residence of the prime minister since 1948, has been used by some presidents such as Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa . Other presidents, such as Jayewardene and Sirisena , have refused to use the President's House, with the former preferring to stay at his personal residence in Braemar , and the latter at his former ministerial residence at Wijayarama Mawatha. For ground travel,

7998-430: The upper judiciary and independent commissions such as the election commission or the bribery and corruption commission. In 2010, the highly controversial 18th Amendment to the constitution was introduced in order to remove the two-term limit for the presidency. The 18th amendment allowed the incumbent president to serve multiple terms as well as increase their power by replacing the broader constitutional council with

8091-517: The wishes of the head of government. A president, monarch, or governor-general might possess clearly significant reserve powers . Examples of the use of such powers include the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 and the Canadian King–Byng affair in 1926. The Lascelles Principles were an attempt to create a convention to cover similar situations, but have not been tested in practice. Because of differences in their written constitutions,

8184-520: Was a largely ceremonial figure; real power remained vested in the prime minister. In 1978, the second amendment to the Constitution replaced the Westminster system with a more semi-presidential system . The presidency became an executive post based closely on the French model , and was now both head of state and head of government, with a longer term and independent from Parliament . The president

8277-414: Was adopted by a number of countries which subsequently evolved or reformed their system of government departing from the original model. In some cases, certain aspects of the Westminster system were retained or codified in their constitutions. For instance South Africa and Botswana , unlike Commonwealth realms or parliamentary republics such as India, have a combined head of state and head of government but

8370-456: Was held in a church choir . Traditionally, the opposition parties will sit in one row of seats, and the government party will sit in the other. In some countries, the mace will face the government’s side whilst lying on the table of the House. In most majority governments , the number of government-party MPs is so large that it must use the "opposition" seats as well. In the lower house at Westminster (the UK's House of Commons) there are lines on

8463-623: Was supported by export credit agencies in the United States , Germany , Netherlands , Poland , France , and Austria . Built over a 25 acres (0.10 km) site, the power station will utilize two 100 MW GE Frame 9E Gas Turbines and one GE steam turbine , and will generate approximately 1,800 GWh annually. The facility uses 25,000 m/h (880,000 cu ft/h) of seawater for cooling. On September 21, 2021, U.S. infrastructure firm New Fortress Energy announced they have acquired 40% stake in West Coast Power (Pvt) Ltd

8556-399: Was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, head of the cabinet of ministers, and has the power to dissolve and call a parliament. The prime minister would serve as both an assistant and the deputy to the president and also the president's successor. The 17th Constitutional Amendment introduced in 2001 reduced certain powers of the president, in particular in regard to the appointment of

8649-471: Was the first British monarch to delegate some executive powers to a prime minister and a cabinet of the ministers, largely because he was also the monarch of Hanover in Germany and did not speak English fluently. Over time, further arrangements continued to allow the execution of executive authority on the sovereign's behalf and more and more de facto power ended up lying in the Prime Minister's hands. Such

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