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The Franchise
universal franchise had been achieved through the Donoughmore Commission Reform of 1931, under which men and women of over 21 years of age were entitled to vote. However Mr. Bandaranaike realised that a growing number of young persons with a good education-beneficiaries of the free education system-needed to make their contribution to the electoral process. Accordingly the Elections Ordinance was amended, to give men and women over 18 years of age, the right to vote.
The other vital initiative he took in regard to the effective practise of the franchise was to establish a Delimitation Commission in 1958 to carve out constituencies in such manner as would give equitable representation to communities hitherto under - represented, such as the Tamils of Recent Indian Origin T R I O or (Hill country Tamils) as they were known, and other communities which shared strong collective identity interests.