Ceylonese parliamentary election, 1947

1st Ceylonese parliamentary election

← 1936 23 August 1947 - 20 September 1947 1952 →
95 seats to the House of Representatives of Ceylon 48 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout	61.3%
First party Second party   Leader D. S. Senanayake N. M. Perera Party United National Party Lanka Sama Samaja Party Leader since 1946 1945 Leader's seat Mirigama Ruwanwella Seats won 42 10 Popular vote 751,432 204,020 Percentage 39.81% 10.81%
Prime Minister before election n/a Prime Minister-designate D. S. Senanayake United National Party

n/a

D. S. Senanayake
United National Party

General elections were held in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 23 August to 20 September 1947.

This is considered the first national election held in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon). Although it took place before independence was actually granted, it was the first election under the Soulbury Constitution.

Some of the major figures who had led the independence struggle were found in the rightwing United National Party led by D.S. Senanayake. In opposition were the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party and Bolshevik Leninist Party of India, the Communist Party of Ceylon, the Ceylon Indian Congress and an array of independents.

Senanayake's UNP fell short of a majority, but was able to form a government in coalition with the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, which had taken most of the seats in the Tamil regions.

Sri Lanka obtained full independence as a dominion in 1948. The British nevertheless retained military bases in the country and English remained as the official language along with much of the administrative system put in place by the British along with British officials.

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