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.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: United People's Freedom Alliance (PA)
  • Leader: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA
  • Seats won in this election: 105
  • Seats won in last election: 77
• Party: United National Party (UNP)
  • Leader: Ranil WICKREMASINGHE
  • Seats won in this election: 82
  • Seats won in last election: 109
• Party: Tamil National Alliance (TNA)
  • Leader: R. SAMPANTHAN
  • Seats won in this election: 22
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: National Heritage Party / Jathika Hela Unimaya (JHU)
  • Leader: Ellawala Medhananda THERA
  • Seats won in this election: 9
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)
  • Leader: Rauff HAKEEM
  • Seats won in this election: 5
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Party: Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 2
• Party: Up-Country People's Front
  • Leader: P. CHANDRASEKERAN
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held in Sri Lanka on December 7, 2001.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 19,227,000 (2004)
• Registered Voters: 12,899,139 (2004)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 9,724,162 (2004)

·         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: 11 (following the 2004 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: 2,884,050 (est.)