Government and Politics of Sri Lanka

Government Type

republic

Administrative Divisions

8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note - North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern

Legal System

a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sri Lanka dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where the government rules it is to the benefit of Sri Lanka residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024); the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024); the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections: President elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 21 September 2024 (next to be held in 2029) election results: Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE elected president in the first election conducted under a preferential voting system; percent of first-preference vote - Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE 42.3%, Sajith PREMADASA 32.8%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 17.3%, other 7.6%

Legislative Branch

unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010) election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - SLFP and JVP (no longer in formal UPFA alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.83%, TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others 0.93%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, UNP dissident 1, TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, JHU dissidents 2, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4, Communist Party 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president

Political Parties

All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D. GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna or JVP [Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP [leader NA]; Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D. GUNAWARDENE]; National Heritage Party or JHU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [leader NA]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V. ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils

Head of State

President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA

Head of Government

President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister

Elections

president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (two-term limit); election last held on 26 January 2010 (next to be held in 2016)

Election Results

Mahinda RAJAPAKSA reelected president for second term; percent of vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSA 57.88%, Sarath FONSEKA 40.15%, other 1.97%

Constitution

adopted 16 August 1978

Independence

4 February 1948 (from UK)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 4 February (1948)

International Organization Participation

AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard GOONETILLEKE chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028) FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey J. LUNSTEAD embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: [94] (11) 244-8007 FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345

Capital City

Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)

Location

6 55 N, 79 50 E

Time Difference

UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

Colombo may derive from the Sinhala "kolon thota," meaning "port on the river" (referring to the Kelani River that empties into the Indian Ocean at Colombo); alternatively, the name may derive from the Sinhala "kola amba thota" meaning "harbor with mango trees"; it is also possible that the Portuguese named the city after Christopher COLUMBUS, who lived in Portugal for many years (as Cristovao COLOMBO) before discovering the Americas for the Spanish crown in 1492 - not long before the Portuguese made their way to Sri Lanka in 1505; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte translates as "Resplendent City of Growing Victory" in Sinhala

U.S. Embassy Colombo 210 Galle Road Colombo 03 Sri Lanka Telephone: 94 11 249 8500 Emergency after-hours telephone: 94 77 725 6307 Facsimile: 94 11 249 8590 Email for American Citizens Services issues: ColomboACS@state.gov Please note that the U.S. Embassy’s normal business hours in Colombo are Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. The Embassy in Colombo also covers the Republic of Maldives.

Military Branches

Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force

Service Age and Obligation

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 5-year service obligation (Air Force)