Suchergebnisse

ANYONE WITH MORE THAN A SUPERFICIAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE RECENT POLITICAL HISTORY OF SRI LANKA WILL KNOW THAT THE CONVENTIONS, PRECEDENTS AND NORMS ASSOCIATED WITH WESTMINISTER (OR WITH ANY LIBERAL ORDER) HAVE UNDERGONE EROSION THERE. THIS HAS OCCURRED, TO SOME EXTENT, UNDER ALL OF THE ISLAND'S EIGHT POST-INDEPENDENCE GOVERNMENTS AND IT HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE UNDER THE LAST TWO. FIRST, THESE EVENTS DESERVE ATTENTION PRECISELY BECAUSE SRI LANKA REMAINS A POTENTIALLY VIBRANT DEMOCRACY. SECOND, THE VOICES THAT HAVE COMPLAINED MOST BITTERLY ABOUT THE FLOUTING OF DEMOCRATIC NORMS ARE SRI LANKA.3 FINALLY-TO COME DIRECTLY TO THE SUBJECT OF THIS PAPER-THE FIRST MAJOR VIOLATION OF THE CONVENTIONS OF WESTMINISTER TO OCCUR IN THE ISLAND WAS THE WORK OF AN ENGLISHMAN, NONE OTHER THAN ITS SECOND GOVERNOR-GENERAL, LORD SOULBURY.

The constitutional, legal, & financial changes in the relations between central & local government in GB over the past decade have steadily & increasingly eroded the political autonomy of local government, & considerably strengthened the grip of the center. The 1972 reform of local government, the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance, the introduction of policy planning systems, the use of legal powers on council house sales & rents, the use of ministerial veto, & most especially the financial legislation of 1981 & 1982 have reduced the rights & powers of local government, thereby altering fundamental constitutional patterns. 3 Tables. HA.