Liberal Democracy in Crisis: Majoritarianism, Democratic Backsliding, and Institutional Decay in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Liberal democracy is widely regarded as the most legitimate form of governance because it combines electoral competition with constitutionalism, the rule of law, and the protection of fundamental rights. However, the experience of many contemporary democracies demonstrates that electoral legitimacy alone is insufficient to sustain democratic governance. This article critically examines the deficiencies of liberal democracy through the case of Sri Lanka, a state often described as Asia’s oldest democracy. Drawing on contemporary debates surrounding illiberal democracy, democratic backsliding, and institutional erosion, the article analyses Sri Lanka’s political trajectory from the end of the civil war in 2009 to the transformative elections of 2024. It argues that liberal democracy in Sri Lanka has been undermined by three interconnected dynamics: ethnoreligious majoritarianism, democratic backsliding, and institutional decay. The article explores how post-war triumphalism and Sinhala-Buddhist majoritarianism weakened minority protection and accountability mechanisms, enabling the consolidation of executive power under successive administrations. It further examines the erosion of constitutional safeguards through the Eighteenth and Twentieth Amendments, the weakening of independent institutions, challenges to judicial independence, and the growth of patronage-based governance. The 2018 constitutional crisis and the 2022 economic collapse are analysed as manifestations of deeper structural weaknesses within Sri Lanka’s democratic system. At the same time, the article highlights the resilience of democratic forces, particularly through judicial intervention, citizen mobilisation during the Aragalaya protests, and the electoral transformation witnessed in 2024. By situating Sri Lanka within broader theoretical discussions on liberal democracy and democratic erosion, the article demonstrates how formal democratic institutions can coexist with illiberal political practices. It concludes that sustainable democracy requires not only competitive elections but also robust institutions, constitutional restraints, minority protection, and a political culture committed to pluralism and accountability. Sri Lanka’s experience therefore offers important lessons for understanding the vulnerabilities and possibilities of liberal democracy in deeply divided societies.