At stake in this election:

• 225 seats in the Parliament

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA
• Head of Government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA
• Assembly: Sri Lanka has a unicameral Parliament with 225 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the Parliament 225 members are elected by popular vote via proportional representation to serve 6-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: People's Alliance (PA)
  • Leader: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA
  • Seats won in this election: 107
  • Seats won in last election: 105
• Party: United National Party (UNP)
  • Leader: Ranil WICKREMESINGHE
  • Seats won in this election: 89
  • Seats won in last election: 94
• Party: People's Liberation Front (JVP)
  • Leader: Tilvin SILVA
  • Seats won in this election: 10
  • Seats won in last election: 1
• Party: Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)
  • Leader: Murugesu SIVASITHAMPARAM
  • Seats won in this election: 5
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Party: Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP)
  • Leader: Douglas DEVEVANANDA
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: 9
• Party: National Unity Alliance (NUA)******
  • Leader: Hakeem RAUFF and Farial ASHRAFF
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: 7
• Party: Sihala Urumaya (SU)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Other Parties
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 5
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

****** The National Unity Alliance is aligned with the People's Alliance in several districts

Last Parliamentary election:

• Last Election to the Parliament: August 16, 1994

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 18,655,000 (2000)
• Registered Voters: 12,071,062 (2000)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 9,350,405 (2000)

·         Is Sri Lanka a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Sri Lanka ratified CEDAW: Yes (5 October 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 9 (following the 2000 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 73 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Sri Lanka a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Sri Lanka ratified CRPD: Yes (8 February 2016)

·         Population with a disability: 2,885,786 (est.)