The Government of Sri Lanka

Country name

• conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
• conventional short form: Sri Lanka
• former: Serendib, Ceylon

General

• Government type: republic
• Capital: Colombo;
• note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital

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

Important dates

• Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK)
• National holiday: Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
• Constitution: adopted 16 August 1978

Legal system

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

Executive branch

• chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government
• head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; 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 six-year term; election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005)
• election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%

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 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2007)
• election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, TNA 3.89%, PLOTE 0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114, PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, TNA 15, PLOTE 1
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

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 Peramuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader NA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; 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 [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [R. SAMPATHAN]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Upcountry People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils

Political pressure groups and leaders

• Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state)
• radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism
• Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

International organization participation

AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, 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, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

• chief of mission: Ambassador E. Ashley WILLS
• embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
• mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
• telephone: [94] (1) 448007
• FAX: [94] (1) 437345

Source

2003 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ce.html)

Last Modified: 1 December 2003