Constitution of the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka

Preamble

We Liberals of Sri Lanka assembled in Colombo at a time of great violations of human rights, of violence, racism, terrorism and persistent attempts to undermine the liberty of the individual and to devalue representative democracy ;

Convinced that a truly free, just, united, peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka can only be achieved by determined and sincere adherence to the principles of Liberalism and through the structure of a liberal democracy ;

Recognising the contribution made towards the advancement of Liberalism and towards the preservation of Sri Lanka as a liberal democracy by The Council for Liberal Democracy;

Acknowledging that the very progress made by our movement makes desirable the creation of a political party fully committed to Liberalism;

Hereby adopt this Constitution which we name The Constitution of the Liberal Party.

Chapter 1 – General

Article 1

The Liberal Party shall be a Sri Lankan political party dedicated to the preservation, promotion and development of Liberalism and to the maintenance of Sri Lanka as a liberal democracy.

Article 2

The ideology of the Liberal Party shall be Liberalism as it is understood in political philosophy and as defined in the Liberal Manifesto of 1947, the Liberal Declaration of Oxford of 1967 and the Liberal Appeal of Rome of 1981 of the Liberal International. The Liberal Party is fully committed to individual liberty, parliamentary democracy, the market economy and the welfare state. It shall be dedicated to oppose all forms of totalitarianism, authoritarianism, racism and narrow nationalism, statism and collectivism.

Article 3

The Liberal Party shall be committed to international solidarity with Liberals everywhere and to oppose the violation of human rights, racism, totalitarianism and authoritarianism in all parts of the world.

Chapter II – Membership

Article 4

Membership of the Liberal Party may be obtained by any person above the age of sixteen years who has signed the declaration of liberal principles set out in the schedule of this constitution, upon the approval of such application by the National Committee of the Liberal Party.

Article 5

The approval of an application for membership of the Liberal Party shall only be valid at a duly convened meeting of the National Committee.

Article 6

If an application for membership of the Liberal Party has been rejected by the National Committee and at least two members of the National Committee disagree with that decision, the person whose application has been rejected shall have the right to appear in person before the National Committee and to put forward reasons for the acceptance of such application. The subsequent decision of the National Committee shall be final and conclusive unless it is suspended by a subsequent decision of the National Committee.

Article 7

The National Committee may require a member of the Liberal Party to pay such annual or life subscription as it may deem fit.

Article 8

Any member of the Liberal Party who has paid the subscription required shall be eligible to seek or to hold any office within it.

Article 9

The National Committee may by a two thirds majority determine that membership of a movement that engages in activities incompatible with the principles communicated in Chapter I of this constitution is incompatible with membership of the Liberal Party.

Chapter III – The National Committee

Article 10

The national Committee shall consist of The Leader, the President, no more than two Vice Presidents, the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary-General, Treasurer, four selected members of the National Committee and two members elected by the National Committee at its first meeting.

Article 11

The National Committee shall be the highest policy making and administrative body of the Liberal Party. It shall have the authority to determine or to change policy and to take whatever administrative decisions it deems necessary for the successful functioning of the party.

Article 12

A meeting of the National Committee may be summoned by the Leader, the President, the Secretary General or by the requisition of four members of the National Committee.

Article 13

The National Committee shall be required to approve the setting up of branches of the Liberal Party and shall have to confer approval on all Provincial Committees or local Committees that may be elected. The National Committee may also set up Liberal Movements for particular interest groups, which shall be formally affiliated to the Party. The Constitution of any such Movement should be formally approved by the Party and should include provision for a member of the Party’s National Committee to serve on the Executive Committee of the
Movement.

Article 14

The National Committee may appoint such special committees for the detailed analysis of policy or administration, as it thinks fit.

Article 15

All officers and unofficial members of the National Committee shall be elected by the membership at the Annual Congress of the Liberal Party and shall hold office until the next Annual Congress, save that the Leader shall be elected by the National Committee, by the Alternative Vote (AV) method, at the meeting of the Committee immediately following an Annual Congress. Any member of the National Committee may be proposed for the position of Leader. If any member of the party not on the committee be proposed, the consent of such a member should be obtained in writing beforehand.

Chapter IV – The officers and unofficial members of the National Committee

Article 16

The President shall be elected by the alternative vote (AV) method of election by the members present and voting at the Annual Congress.

Article 17

The President shall if s/he is present, preside at all meetings of the Liberal Party.

Article 18

There shall be no more than two Vice Presidents who shall be elected by the alternative vote (AV) by those members present and voting at the Annual Congress

Article 19

The Vice Presidents shall perform the functions and duties of the President in his/her absence.

Article 20

The Secretary General shall be elected by the alternative vote (AV) by those members present and voting at the Annual General Meeting.

Article 21

The Secretary General shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Liberal Party. The Secretary General shall be responsible for the office and staff of the party.

Article 22

Apart from such responsibilities as are specifically conferred upon Officers recognised by this Constitution, the Leader may assign any further responsibility to any member of the National Committee.

Article 23

Apart from routine matters, no officer of the Liberal Party shall take any decision or engage in any activity on behalf of the party without the approval of the National Committee. Should such approval be difficult to obtain in view of time constraints, such decision or activity should have the concurrence of at least the President and the Secretary General, or four of the officers of the party including one of these.

Article 24

The Deputy Secretary-General shall be elected by the alternative vote (AV) by the Annual Congress

Article 25

The Deputy Secretary – General shall be the administrative Officer of the Liberal Party. The Deputy Secretary General shall keep the record of the membership, shall issue all notices to members, shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the National Committee, general meetings and the meetings of special committees and all other administrative responsibilities that may be assigned to him by the Secretary-General. In the absence from Sri Lanka of the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General shall be responsible for all functions of the Secretary- General and exercise all the authority vested in the Secretary General which has not specifically been assigned to another officer.

Article 26

When the office of Secretary General is vacant the President, Vice Presidents and the Deputy Secretary-General shall jointly exercise the powers and functions of the Secretary General and/or shall appoint, with the concurrence of the National Committee, one of their members to act as the Secretary General.

Article 27

The Treasurer shall be elected by the membership, at the Annual General Meeting by the alternative vote (AV).

Article 28

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the Liberal Party, shall keep the accounts of the party or cause such accounts to be kept, shall organise and promote ways in which funds may be collected and shall be responsible to the National Committee for such bank accounts, deposits or financial investments as belong to the party.

Article 29

The four elected unofficial members of the national Committee shall be elected by the membership at the Annual Congress on the alternative vote.

Article 30

Unofficial members of the National Committee whether elected or appointed may be assigned specific positions and responsibilities created by the National Committee.

Article 31

Any person desirous of being elected to office or any unofficial member of the National Committee may, by sending to the Secretary General a written declaration of intent to stand for that position 14 days prior to the date of the Annual Congress, become a candidate for such a position.

Article 32

Where more than one persons shall be nominated for the offices of Leader, President, Secretary-General or Deputy Secretary- General and where more than two persons are nominated for the office of Vice President, an opportunity shall be afforded at the Annual Congress for such candidates to speak in support of their candidacies.
The President or a member nominated by him with the concurrence of a National Committee shall act as returning Officer for elections.

Article 33

The Quorum for a meeting of the National Committee shall be four persons of whom one shall be the Leader, the President or Secretary General and one other officer.

Article 34

The position of an Officer or unofficial member of the National committee shall become vacant through death or resignation or by the passage by a simple majority of a vote of no confidence, moved at a Special General Meeting or if he ceases to be a member of the Liberal Party. The National Committee shall be empowered to fill such a vacancy on an acting basis, until the next Annual Congress of the Party, save that for the position of Leader the National Committee may elect a new Leader if a vacancy occurs.

Article 35

A decision of the National committee may be reversed by a majority of members present at the Annual Congress or at a Special General Meeting at which due notice shall have been given of a challenge to such a decision.

Chapter V – The Annual Congress and Special General Meetings

Article 36

The Annual Congress of the Liberal Party will take place in the month of April

Article 37

The Deputy Secretary – General shall inform all members of the date of the Annual Congress twenty one days (21) in advance of the date of the meeting.

Article 38

Members shall inform the Secretary General or the Deputy Secretary General of all resolutions to be moved at the Annual Congress, fourteen days (14) in advance of the date of the meeting.

Article 39

The Deputy Secretary General shall provide copies of resolutions to be debated at the Annual Congress and the names of all candidates seeking office and the respective offices sought at least seven days (07) in advance of the date of the Annual Congress.

Article 40

The President shall preside over the Annual Congress and Special General Meetings. In his/her absence a Vice President and in the absence of a Vice President the Secretary General shall preside.

Article 41

The President (or presiding officer) shall resolve all questions of procedure at the Annual Congress or at Specific General Meetings provided that an opportunity is given for the presentation of different points of view before the ruling is made.

Article 42

A decision of procedure by the President (or Presiding Officer) may be challenged in writing by ten members. Such a challenge shall be resolved by a vote of the membership at a Special General Meeting. A person whose conduct is being questioned shall not preside over a meeting at which such conduct is being debated.

Article 43

An emergency resolution may be taken up at the Congress if twenty members stand up in support of such resolution.

Article 44

The Leader shall deliver an address at the Annual Congress of the Liberal Party.
The Secretary General shall present a report of the activities of the party for the past year and make such remarks on the future course of the movement as he may deem appropriate.

Article 45

The Treasurer shall present an audited statement of accounts for the previous year accompanied by such comments on the finances of the party as may be deemed appropriate.

Article 46

Members may direct questions to officers relative to the discharge of their official duties at the Annual Congress.

Article 47

A Special General Meeting may be convened by the Secretary General, or the Deputy Secretary-General.

Article 48

Twenty members by a written request to the President or the Secretary-General shall be entitled to summon a Special General Meeting.

Article 49

The Deputy Secretary General shall notify the membership, by means of advertisements placed in two national newspapers at least five days before the date of such meeting, of a Special General Meeting.

Chapter VI – Special Provisions

Article 50

All issues not dealt with in this Constitution shall be determined by the National committee.

Chapter VII – Transitional Provisions

Article 51

All officers at the formation of the Liberal Party shall be appointed by a decision of the National Committee of the Council for Liberal Democracy.

Article 52

The First National Committee shall subject itself for re-election at the first Annual Congress of the party.

Chapter VIII – Amendment of the Constitution

Article 53

Any member may by a written communication to the Secretary General or the Deputy Secretary-General give notice of intent to move an amendment to the constitution.

Article 54

The Deputy Secretary General shall convene a Special General Meeting for such an amendment to be considered and shall inform members at least twenty one (21) days in advance of the date of such a meeting.
The Deputy Secretary-General shall furnish copies of the text of the amendment at least fourteen (14) days before the date of the Special General Meeting at which the amendment is to be debated.

Article 55

All articles of the Constitution apart from those in Chapter I may be amended by the passage of such amendment by a two thirds majority of the members present at a Special General Meeting.

Article 56

No article in Chapter I of the Constitution, nor the first schedule of the Constitution, may be amended without the approval of seventy five percent (75%) of the recorded membership of whom the Leader, the President and the Secretary-General shall form a part.

Schedule

I .............................. declare and affirm that I am fully committed to the principles of Liberalism as they are understood in political philosophy, that I sincerely shall uphold, defend and promote the liberty of the individual in all its varied forms, that I shall be committed to the maintenance of Sri Lanka as a liberal democracy, that I shall support and defend the right of political dissent, that I believe that true freedom can exist only with a market economy complimented by a strong welfare state, and that I shall strongly and dedicatedly oppose all forms of totalitarianism, authoritarianism, racism, narrow nationalism, statism and collectivism. In consequence of my commitment to the above principles, I hereby seek membership of the Liberal Party.

..............................
Signature