Can Swiss-style federalism help power-sharing efforts in Sri Lanka?

For decades, the Tamil minority has looked towards federal states as a model for governance. This autumn, a delegation of Sri Lankan lawmakers and political decision-makers visited Switzerland to gain insight into the country’s political system. Will Sri Lanka’s left-wing government now push ahead with power-sharing? It is fascinating to see how everything is organised from the bottom up in Switzerland, says Chandima Hettiaratchi. “When a decision is made, the people are consulted,” he explains. “If a local council wants to build a road but the people don’t want it, then it won’t be built. The mandate comes from the people.” Hettiaratchi is one of 12 politicians from Sri Lanka who visited Switzerland in September. The study trip, which was co-organised by the Swiss foreign ministry, included visits to Geneva, Bern and smaller towns such as Murten. A key focus of the visit was Swiss federalism and the interaction between different political levels in Switzerland. In Sri Lanka, many ...