The run rate of passing laws in Sri Lanka’s Parliament has shifted over time, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration overtaking that of former President Maithripala Sirisena in legislative output at the 18‑month mark, according to a report by Colombo‑based think tank Verité Research.
The study compares legislative activity during the first 18 months of the two presidencies, both elected on platforms of anti‑corruption and governance reform.
At six months, Sirisena’s presidency led decisively, having gazetted three times more bills and passed twice as many laws as Dissanayake’s.
However, by nine months, the AKD presidency had caught up in terms of laws passed, and by 18 months, had enacted 32 laws compared to 20 under Sirisena.
While Sirisena’s government consistently led in the number of bills gazetted, 54 compared to Dissanayake’s 50, the report notes that the AKD presidency converted a much larger share of its gazetted bills into law.
Parliament met for 126 days during Sirisena’s first 18 months and 136 days under Dissanayake, with both periods including an interim budget and a full‑year budget.
Verité Research concludes that the AKD presidency demonstrates greater efficiency in translating legislative proposals into enacted laws, marking a significant difference in parliamentary performance between the two reformist administrations.
Table 1: Legislative record of Parliament, 6 months in
| MS Presidency | AKD Presidency | |
| Number of days Parliament met | 41 days | 46 days |
| Number of bills gazetted2 | 17 | 7 |
| o/w Number of bills tabled | 16 | 5 |
| o/w Number of laws passed | 6 | 3 |
Table 2: Legislative record of Parliament, 18 months in
| MS Presidency | AKD Presidency | |
| Number of days Parliament met | 126 days | 136 days |
| Number of bills gazetted | 54 | 50 |
| o/w Number of bills tabled | 48 | 43 |
| o/w Number of laws passed | 20 | 32 |
