The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 147 CHAPTER XXI TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS 160. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other provision of the Constitution, the person holding the office of President immediately before the commencement of the Constitution shall be the first President under the Constitution and shall be deemed for all purposes to have been elected as the President of the Republic, and 145[shall, subject to the provisions of Article 31, hold office] for a period of six years from February 4, 1978. First President The President shall, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 32, be deemed to have assumed office immediately upon the commencement of the Constitution and shall be entitled thereupon to exercise, perform and discharge all the powers, duties and functions conferred or imposed on, or assigned to, the President by the Constitution or otherwise. The President shall, as soon as possible thereafter at a sitting of Parliament, take and subscribe the oath or make and subscribe the affirmation set out in the Fourth Schedule. 161. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other provision of the Constitution – (a) the first Parliament shall consist, of one hundred and sixty-eight members and subject to the succeeding provisions of this Article, all persons who immediately before the commencement of the Constitution were members of the National State Assembly shall be deemed to have been elected as Members of Parliament; (a) (b) (i) if the election, as a Member of the National State Assembly, of a person deemed to have been elected to the first Parliament is declared void under the law for the time being in force and no other person is determined to have been duly returned or elected, the seat of such Member shall be vacant, and an election to the electoral district as existing immediately prior to the commencement of the Constitution, shall be held in accordance with the law relating to elections to the National State Assembly in force immediately before 145 - Substituted by the Third Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 4 for “shall hold office”. First Parliament