| Election Name: | 1947 Ceylonese parliamentary election |
| Country: | British Ceylon |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Ceylonese State Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Outgoing Members: | 2nd State Council of Ceylon |
| Next Election: | 1952 Ceylonese parliamentary election |
| Next Year: | 1952 |
| Elected Members: | 1st Parliament of Ceylon |
| Seats For Election: | 95 seats in the House of Representatives of Ceylon 48 seats were needed for a majority |
| Election Date: | 23 August–20 September 1947 |
| Turnout: | 61.3% |
| Image1: | Official Photographic Portrait of Don Stephen Senanayaka (1884-1952).jpg |
| Leader1: | D. S. Senanayake |
| Leader Since1: | 1946 |
| Party1: | United National Party |
| Leaders Seat1: | Mirigama |
| Seats1: | 42 |
| Popular Vote1: | 751,432 |
| Percentage1: | 39.81% |
| Leader2: | N. M. Perera |
| Leader Since2: | 1945 |
| Party2: | Lanka Sama Samaja Party |
| Leaders Seat2: | Ruwanwella |
| Seats2: | 10 |
| Popular Vote2: | 204,020 |
| Percentage2: | 10.81% |
| Image4: | 3x4.svg |
| Leader4: | G. G. Ponnambalam |
| Leader Since4: | 1944 |
| Party4: | All Ceylon Tamil Congress |
| Leaders Seat4: | Jaffna |
| Seats4: | 7 |
| Popular Vote4: | 82,499 |
| Percentage4: | 4.37% |
| Image5: | 3x4.svg |
| Leader5: | Savumiamoorthy Thondaman |
| Leader Since5: | 1939 |
| Party5: | Ceylon Indian Congress |
| Leaders Seat5: | Nuwara Eliya |
| Seats5: | 6 |
| Popular Vote5: | 72,230 |
| Percentage5: | 3.83% |
| Prime Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Prime Minister after election |
| Before Election: | Position established |
| After Election: | D. S. Senanayake |
| After Party: | United National Party |
Parliamentary elections were held in Ceylon between 23 August and 20 September 1947. They were the first elections overseen and administered by the newly formed Department of Parliamentary Elections.[1]
This is considered the first national election held in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon). Although it took place before independence was actually granted, it was the first election under the Soulbury Constitution.
Some of the major figures who had led the independence struggle were found in the right-wing United National Party led by D.S. Senanayake. In opposition were the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party and Bolshevik Leninist Party of India, the Communist Party of Ceylon, the Ceylon Indian Congress and an array of independents.
Senanayake's UNP fell short of a majority, but was able to form a government in coalition with the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, which had taken most of the seats in the Tamil-majority regions of the island.
Sri Lanka obtained full independence as a dominion in 1948. The British nevertheless retained military bases in the country and English remained as the official language along with much of the administrative system put in place by the British along with British officials.