Sri Lanka's First Election Commission: Strengthening Electoral Management or Advancing Electoral Integrity?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Dinesha Samararatne
Keyword(s):  
Critical Points ◽  
Institutional Innovation ◽  
Constitutional Democracy ◽  
Election Commission

The undisputed success of Sri Lanka's first Election Commission (2015–2020) was the conduct of free and fair elections, that is to say, electoral management. I argue in this article that, by design and in practice, it was unable to or failed to advance electoral integrity that is urgently required for the health of Sri Lanka's constitutional democracy. At critical points when electoral integrity and constitutional democracy were threatened, it was the Court, the traditional institutional check on the Executive and the Legislature, that prevented its further erosion. The Commission, therefore, was an institutional innovation that addressed symptoms of Sri Lanka's ailing constitutional democracy but not its root causes. The Commission has been a necessary but insufficient fix for the electoral pathologies of Sri Lanka's constitutional democracy. Its ‘guarantor’ function, as I illustrate in this article, is narrowly conceived, perceived and lived out.

The relationship of the scleractinian corals to the rugose corals

Paleobiology ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 6 (02) ◽  
pp. 146-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Critical Points ◽  
Scleractinian Corals ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Early Triassic ◽  
Rugose Corals ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Biologic Factors

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic coral Order Scleractinia has been suggested to have originated or evolved (1) by direct descent from the Paleozoic Order Rugosa or (2) by the development of a skeleton in members of one of the anemone groups that probably have existed throughout Phanerozoic time. In spite of much work on the subject, advocates of the direct descent hypothesis have failed to find convincing evidence of this relationship. Critical points are:(1) Rugosan septal insertion is serial; Scleractinian insertion is cyclic; no intermediate stages have been demonstrated. Apparent intermediates are Scleractinia having bilateral cyclic insertion or teratological Rugosa.(2) There is convincing evidence that the skeletons of many Rugosa were calcitic and none are known to be or to have been aragonitic. In contrast, the skeletons of all living Scleractinia are aragonitic and there is evidence that fossil Scleractinia were aragonitic also. The mineralogic difference is almost certainly due to intrinsic biologic factors.(3) No early Triassic corals of either group are known. This fact is not compelling (by itself) but is important in connection with points 1 and 2, because, given direct descent, both changes took place during this only stage in the history of the two groups in which there are no known corals.

Critical points of metallic plasmas and electrolytes

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (PR5) ◽  
pp. Pr5-373-Pr5-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Likalter ◽  
H. Schneidenbach
Keyword(s):  
Critical Points

Application of graphical analysis of taxonomical structure of diatom complexes in identification of critical conditions of the Neopleistocene lakes (on the example of Bibirevo section)

2019 ◽  
pp. 78-87
Author(s):  
Elena V. Bespalova
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediments ◽  
Critical Points ◽  
Graphical Analysis ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Critical Conditions ◽  
Ancient Lake ◽  
Diatom Complexes

Ancient lake sediments of Bibirevo section in the Yaroslavl and Kostroma Volga region are studied by means of graphical analysis of taxonomical structure of diatom complexes. This method allowed to record critical points (change of areas of stability) in the development of a Neopleistocene lake during the transition from stage to stage, as well as from phase to phase.

The Relevance of the Judiciary in a Democratic Nigeria

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-317
Author(s):  
Osahon O. Guobadia
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Federal Republic ◽  
Economic Justice ◽  
Democratic Values ◽  
Constitutional Democracy ◽  
Political Justice ◽  
Fourth Republic

A new constitutional democracy was established in Nigeria on 29 May 1999. This Fourth Republic was founded upon the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which unshackled the judiciary from the bondage of military decrees. This also brought excitement to the citizenry which finds expression in the belief that the judiciary, their last bastion of succour, is now poised to intervene in the inevitable tussle between might and the exercise of new democratic tenets. These tenets encompass the ideals of economic justice, political justice and social justice. 1 1 C. C. Nweze, ‘Judicial Sustainability of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria: A Response to the Phonographic Theory of the Judicial Function’, in E. S. Nwauche and F. I. Asogwah (eds), Essays in Honour of Professor C. O. Okunkwo, (SAN) Jite Books (2000), p. 225. Against the backdrop of this reality, the article will examine the extent to which the judiciary in Nigeria has performed its constitutional role as an independent arm of government towards ensuring the observance of democratic values in a free, open, humane and civilised society.

Some features of phase transitions in solutions with two critical points

1996 ◽  
Vol 166 (6) ◽  
pp. 683-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.V. Kovalenko ◽  
S.V. Krivokhizha ◽  
Immanuil L. Fabelinskii ◽  
L.L. Chaikov
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Critical Points
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