Article 1

The Liberal Youth for Sri Lanka (LYSL) shall be a Sri Lankan organization of youth dedicated to the study and promotion of liberal democracy in the particular context of Sri Lanka.

Members are expected to be committed to individual liberty, parliamentary democracy, pluralism, the market economy and the welfare state. They will reject all forms of totalitarianism, authoritarianism, racism and narrow exclusivist nationalism, statism and collectivism.

LYSL will be affiliated to the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka, but membership shall be open to all Sri Lankans, regardless of party affiliation.

Article 2

In the event of the National Committee of the Liberal Party deciding, by a two thirds majority, that LYSL is not fulfilling its aims and the principles of liberal democracy, LYSL shall be suspended, and dissolved if this seems necessary and reconstituted by the National Committee of the Liberal Party. The future use of any funds lying to the credit of LYSL shall be decided by arbitration, subject to any such funds which were provided by donors for specific purposes being utilized as decided by such donors.

Article 3

Membership of LYSL may be obtained by any person above the age of sixteen years and under the age of forty five who has signed the declaration of commitment to liberal democracy and applies for membership, upon the approval of such application by the National Committee of LYSL. Approval of an application for membership shall be by a membership committee of LYSL, to be appointed by the Committee and convened by the Secretary General, subject to ratification by a duly convened meeting of the National Committee.

The Committee may require a member to pay such annual or life subscription as it may deem fit. Any member who has paid the subscription required shall be eligible to seek or to hold any office within it.

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 Article 1 of this constitution is incompatible with membership of LYSL.

Article 4

The National Committee shall be the policy making and administrative body of LYSL, and shall have authority to determine or to change policy and to take whatever administrative decisions it deems necessary for the successful functioning of LYSL. A meeting of the Committee may be summoned by the President or the Secretary General or by the requisition of four members of the Committee.

Article 5

The members of the National Committee shall be

a)      The President

b)      Two Vice-Presidents

c)      The Secretary General

d)      The Deputy Secretary General

e)      The Treasurer

f)        Six Members elected at the Annual Congress

g)      One Member nominated by every District Branch Executive Committee that has been duly constituted in terms of Article 10 of this Constitution

Decisions of the Committee shall be by majority vote. The President shall have a deliberative vote, and also a casting vote if required. All issues not dealt with in this Constitution shall be determined by the National Committee.

Article 6

The President and the Secretary General shall be nominated by the National Committee of the Liberal Party, subject to ratification by the members of the Asociation at its Annual Congress. If the nominees of the Party are not so approved, the other elected members of the National Committee shall meet with the National Committee of the Liberal Party to fill the vacant positions by consensus. If such consensus is not achieved, the nominees of the Liberal Party shall continue as officers and members of the National Committee of LYSL, but shall not act or take decisions save as instructed by the National Committee.

The other members of the Committee shall be selected at the Annual Congress of LYSL, by the alternative vote (AV) method of election by the members present and voting at the Annual Congress. Members shall have one vote each, with up to three preferences, for electing members of the Committee, and six members shall be selected after redistribution of the preferences of excess candidates, starting from those of the candidate receiving the lowest number of first preferences.

Article 7

The President shall if s/he is present, preside at all meetings of LYSL including the Annual Congress, The Vice-Presidents shall perform the functions and duties of the President in his/her absence. The President, together with the other officers, shall be responsible for the development and implementation of special projects for the promotion of liberal democracy and the dissemination of associated ideas amongst young people.

The Secretary General shall be the Chief Executive Officer of LYSL under the guidance of the President, and shall be assisted by the Deputy Secretary General, who shall as directed by the President and the Secretary General keep the record of the membership, issue notices to members, keep the minutes of meetings and fulfill other administrative responsibilities that may be assigned to him by the National Committee. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the funds and accounts of the Council.

Apart from such responsibilities as are specifically conferred upon Officers recognised by this Constitution, the National Committee may assign any further responsibility to any member of the Committee, and assign members to act in the event of any vacancy, subject to the approval of the Liberal Party with regard to the duties of the President and the Secretary General.

Apart from routine matters, no officer of LYSL shall take any decision or engage in any activity on behalf of the party without the approval of the 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 members of the Committee including one of these.

Article 8

The Quorum for a meeting of the National Committee shall be five persons of whom one shall be the President or the Secretary General, with at least one other officer present.

Article 9

The position of an Officer or unofficial member of the 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. The Committee shall be empowered to fill such a vacancy on an acting basis, subject to confirmation by the National Committee of the Liberal Party with regard to the positions of President and Secretary General.

Article 10

The National Committee shall be required to approve the setting up of branches of LYSL and shall have to confer approval on all Provincial or District and other local Committees that may be elected. The Constitution of any such Association should be formally approved by the Party.

Article 11

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

Article 12

A decision of the 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.

Article 13

The Annual Congress of LYSL will take place in the second quarter of the year, following the Annual Congress of the Liberal Party. The Deputy Secretary – General shall inform all members of the date of the Annual Congress at least ten days in advance of the date of the meeting.

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

The presiding official 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.

A decision as to procedure may be challenged 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.

The President shall deliver an address at the Annual Congress. 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. The Treasurer shall present a statement of accounts for the previous year with such comments on the finances as may be deemed appropriate.

Article 14

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

Article 15

In the event of LYSL not having functioned for any substantial period of time, the officers and committee of LYSL shall be appointed by the National Committee of the Liberal Party, subject to ratification at the next subsequent Annual Congress of LYSL. All previous members of LYSL shall be invited to such Congress.

Article 16

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. If the date of the next Annual Congress is more than three months away, the Secretary-General shall convene a Special General Meeting to consider such amendments

All articles of the Constitution apart from Articles 1 & 2 may be amended by the passage of such amendment by a two thirds majority of the members present at a Special General Meeting, subject to ratification by the National Committee of the Liberal Party.

Articles 1 & 2 and the first schedule of the Constitution may be amended only with the approval of seventy five percent (75%) of the recorded membership including the President and the Secretary-General, and subject to ratification by the National Committee of the Liberal Party.

Schedule 1

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 pluralist 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 exclusivist nationalism, statism and collectivism. In consequence of my commitment to the above principles, I hereby seek membership of LYSL of Sri Lankan Young Liberals.

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Signature