HT This Day: May 23, 1972 -- Republic of Sri Lanka is born
The republic came into existence the moment Constituent Assembly President Stanley Tillekeratne signed a declaration before the assembled representatives of the people to signify that the Constitution had been duly passed
Colombo: In the midst of a state of emergency and objections from sections of the Tamil community, Ceylon today proclaimed itself the free, sovereign and independent Republic of Sri Lanka.
A simple one-hour ceremony, replete with Buddhist customs, held at the plush Navarangahala Theatre in Colombo shortly after noon, marked the transition from monarchy to republic.
Armed police maintained a security cordon around the theatre while the ceremony was in progress.
Declaration
The republic came into existence the moment Constituent Assembly President Stanley Tillekeratne signed a declaration before the assembled representatives of the people to signify that the Constitution had been duly passed.
Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike then took oath of office from President William Gopallawa. Earlier, the Constituent Assembly ratified the Constitution by 120 votes to 16.
Mr. Gopallawa’s first act as President of the Republic was to sign and read a proclamation summoning a meeting of the first National State Assembly (consisting of members of the House of Representatives elected in May 1970) this afternoon.
Later in the day, Mrs. Bandaranaike’s Cabinet was sworn in at the President’s House.
For Sri Lanka, the proclamation of the new Constitution marked the snapping of the last constitutional link with Britain. Until now. Queen Elizabeth II of Eng land had been recognised as Queen of Ceylon as well.
In her congratulatory message, the Queen expressed satisfaction over the island remaining in the Commonwealth.
The proclamation also removed all constitutional blocks to radical socio-economic reforms in the march towards the three-party Socialist-Trotskyist Communist United Front Government’s avowed goal of a “socialist society”. As the “supreme instrument of State power” all legislative, executive and judicial authority now vests in the National Assembly.
Within the Assembly, the real seat of power is the Cabinet head ed by the Prime Minister.
Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Island-Republic with a pledge of non-alignment and adherence to the United Nations Charter.
The Right-wing United National Party Opposition of the former Prime Minister, Mr Dudley Senanayake voted against the resolution for adoption (moved by the Prime Minister) along with two other independent members. Another independent member abstained.
The Federal Party and the Tamil Congress of the minority Tamils boycotted the session as before in protest against Tamil not being given Its rightful place in the draft. Two rebel Tamil Congress members and another Tamil member, formerly of the Federal Party, voted for the draft.
Mr. Dudley Senanayake, reading from a prepared text, told the Assembly that his party had been compelled to vote against the Constitution because of “undue haste” with which it had been rushed through.
