At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Sri Lanka

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA *
• Head of Government: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA
• Assembly: Sri Lanka has a unicameral Parliament with 225 seats.

* Under the contingent vote system, voters may rank up to three candidates. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of counting, ballots whose first ranking are eliminated candidates are redistributed to the next-ranked candidates on those ballots. The winner is the candidate with the most votes after this second round of counting.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected through a contingent vote system to serve a 6-year term.
• In the Parliament 225 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 6-year terms.***

*** Parties must clear a threshold of one-eighth of votes to win seats in the respective constituency. Each voter may cast three preference votes.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Mohomed Casim Mohomed ISMAIL
  • Party: Democratic United National Front
• Muthubandara THEMINMULLA
  • Party: Okkoma Wasiyo Okkoma Rajawaru Sanvidanaya
• Achala Ashoka SURAWEERA
  • Party: Jathika Sangwardhena Peramuna
• Kiriella Gurunnanselage Ravindrlal PERERA
  • Alliance: Our National Front
• Sarath MANAMENDRA
  • Party: Nawa Sihala Urumaya
• Wickramabahu KARUNARATHNE
  • Party: Left Front
• Wekada Vitharanage Mahiman RANJITH
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Sanath PINNADUWA
  • Party: National Alliance
• Sarath FONSEKA
  • Party: New Democratic Front
• Heethaka Oswald Arunya de SOYSA
  • Party: Ruhu Janatha
• Wije DIAS
  • Party: Socialist Equality Party
• Battaramulla Seelarathana THERO
  • Party: Janasetha Peramuna
• Panagoda Don Prince Solomon ANURA
  • Party: Sri Lanka Labour Party
• Dina Aduruge Senarathne de SILVA
  • Party: Patriotic National Front
• Idurus Mohomed ILYAS
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Sirithunga JAYASURIYA
  • Party: United Socialist Party
• Wijekoon Mudiyanselage Ukkubanda WIJEKOON
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Meera Mohideen Mohomed MUSTHAFA
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Channa Janaka Sugathsiri GAMAGE
  • Party: United Democratic Front
• Upali Sarath KONGAHAGE
  • Party: United National Alternative Front
• Kanagalingam SIWAJILINGAM
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Mahinda RAJAPAKSHA
  • Party: United People's Freedom Alliance

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 21,324,791 (July 2009)
• Registered Voters: 14,088,500 (January 2010)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 10,328,410 (2010)

·         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: 12 (following the 2010 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: 3,198,718 (est.)