In the 1970 parliamentary election, the United Front coalition led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike won a strong majority. The government treated the result as a mandate to replace the Soulbury Constitution, which had kept Ceylon’s last constitutional link to the British Crown. This political shift set the stage for the 1972 republican constitution-making process.
A Constitution Drafting Board was appointed to begin preparing a new, homegrown constitution. This drafting effort aimed to move away from the dominion-era framework and assert full sovereignty through a republican constitution. The work helped shape the institutions of the First Republic, including a new legislature and head-of-state arrangements.
An armed revolt led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) began in April 1971 and was suppressed by mid-1971. The uprising contributed to a security-focused political climate during constitution-making. It also underscored how economic stress and political conflict were shaping the early 1970s.
Ceylon’s Senate (the upper house) was abolished, ending the bicameral parliament created under the Soulbury Constitution. This paved the way for a fully unicameral national legislature under the coming republican constitution. The change reduced one institutional check within the legislative system.
A draft republican constitution was presented to the Constituent Assembly late in 1971. The assembly’s review process signaled that the new constitution would be developed through a political-assembly method rather than a separate, fully independent constitutional convention. This step moved the country from planning into final drafting and debate.
The 1972 constitution was adopted, and the country formally became the Republic of Sri Lanka (changing its name from Ceylon). The constitution replaced the governor-general with a president as head of state and created a new unicameral legislature. It also gave Buddhism a “foremost place,” which became a lasting point of political debate.
The new constitutional order established the National State Assembly as the country’s unicameral legislature. Compared with the earlier system, the assembly’s position reflected a stronger model of legislative supremacy, with fewer constraints on lawmaking. These institutional choices shaped how power operated during the First Republic period.
During the mid-1970s, several Tamil political groups consolidated into the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). This created a stronger, more unified parliamentary voice for Tamil grievances during the First Republic period. The consolidation also helped set conditions for later demands that went beyond regional autonomy.
At its first national convention, the TULF adopted the Vaddukoddai Resolution calling for an independent Tamil state, “Tamil Eelam.” This marked a major escalation from earlier Tamil demands for federalism or devolution within Sri Lanka. The resolution became a key political reference point in the deepening Sinhala–Tamil conflict.
In July 1977, the United National Party (UNP) won a landslide election victory, and J. R. Jayewardene became prime minister. The result reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the outgoing government amid economic strain and unemployment. The new supermajority positioned the UNP to rewrite the constitution again, ending the First Republic’s political phase.
In late August 1978, the new constitution was ratified, setting the legal foundation for a different system of government. This constitutional redesign was intended to replace the First Republic’s framework and address how power was organized at the center. It was a formal step toward a stronger executive model.
On 7 September 1978, the new constitution was promulgated and took effect, replacing the 1972 constitution. It introduced an executive presidency and re-established the legislature as the Parliament of Sri Lanka, marking the transition to the Second Republic. This date is the clear endpoint of the 1972–1978 First Republic constitutional period.
Republican constitution and the First Republic (1972-1978)