Ceylon National Congress

Political party in Sri Lanka

The Ceylon National Congress (Sinhala: ලංකා ජාතික කොන්ග්‍රසය Lanka Jathika Kongrasaya) (CNC) was a Nationalist political party which was formed in Ceylon on 11 December 1919.^[1] It was founded after nationalism grew quite intensely in the early 20th century during the British Colonial rule in Ceylon. It was formed by members of the Ceylon National Association (founded in 1888) and the Ceylon Reform League (founded in 1917).^[2] The Ceylon National Congress played an instrumental role in the attainment of Sri Lanka's independence later in 1948.^[3] Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam was the founding president of the party.^[4] In October 1920, Sir James Peiris was elected president, staunchly supported by F.R. Senanayake and D.S. Senanayake.^[5]^[6] Other former presidents include D. B. Jayatilaka, E. W. Perera, C. W. W. Kannangara, Patrick de Silva Kularatne, H. W. Amarasuriya, W. A. de Silva, George E. de Silva and Edwin Wijeyeratne.^[7] The Ceylon National Congress later paved the way for the formation of the United National Party. In 1943, D.S. Senanayake resigned from the Congress because he disagreed with its revised aim of achieving full freedom from the British Empire, preferring Dominion status.^[8]

References

^ Growth of nationalist power
^ Working towards reform, The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) Retrieved 23 April 2015
^ History of Sri Lanka
^ Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam (1853 - 1924)
^ The Ceylon National Congress and its intrigues By K T Rajasingham, Asia Times Online,Retrieved 23 April 2015
^ Chapter 18, Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle
^ An illustrious son of Sabaragamuwa. Daily News,Retrieved on 20 October 2007.
^ SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY, Chapter 10: Lord Soulbury and his soulless report By K T Rajasingham, Retrieved 11-06-2015

Political parties in Sri Lanka

Major parties

SJB
- All Ceylon Makkal Congress
- Freedom People's Congress
- Jathika Hela Urumaya
- New Lanka Freedom Party
- Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
- Tamil Progressive Alliance
  - Democratic People's Front
  - National Union of Workers
  - Up-Country People's Front

Third parties

Larger	Sri Lanka Freedom Party Supreme Lanka Coalition Communist Party of Sri Lanka Democratic Left Front Jathika Nidahas Peramuna Lanka Sama Samaja Party Our Power of People's Party Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya
Smaller	TNA Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi DTNA People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (Democratic People's Liberation Front) Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization NPP Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna TNPF All Ceylon Tamil Congress National Congress Tamil People's National Alliance

Others outside parliament

Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna
Bodu Jana Peramuna
Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist)
Ceylon Democratic Unity Alliance
Crusaders for Democracy
Democratic Party
Democratic United National Front
Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (Padmanaba)
Freedom People's Front
Frontline Socialist Party
Janatha Sevaka Pakshaya
Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Alternative Group)
Liberal Democratic Party
Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya
Motherland People's Party
National Democratic Movement
Nava Sama Samaja Party
New Democratic Party
New Democratic Front
New Sinhala Heritage
People's Tamil Congress
Revolutionary Workers Party
Siva Senai
Social Democratic Party
Socialist Equality Party
Socialist Party
Sri Lanka Labour Party
United Citizen’s Front
United Socialist Party

Former political parties

Former political alliances

SLFP-led alliances
- Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (1956–1957)
- United Front (1968–1977)
- People's Alliance (1994–2004)
- United People's Freedom Alliance (2004–2019)
- Joint Opposition (2015–2018)
- Freedom People's Alliance (2023–2024)
UNP-led alliances
- United National Front (2001–2020)
Democratic National Alliance
Left Liberation Front
National Unity Alliance
Socialist Alliance
Tamil National Liberation Alliance