General Information
At Stake in this Election:
- The office of President of Sri Lanka.
Government Structure:
- Chief of State: President Maithripala SIRISENA (since 9 January 2015)
- Head of Government: President Maithripala SIRISENA (since 9 January 2015)
- Assembly: Sri Lanka has a unicameral Parliament with 225 seats.
Electoral System:
- The President is elected through a contingent vote system to serve a 5-year term.*
- In the Parliament 225 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.**
*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 rankings 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.
** Parties must clear a threshold of one-eighth of votes to win seats in the respective constituency. Each voter may cast three preference votes. There are 22 multi-member constituencies containing 196 seats and one nationwide constituency with 29 seats.
Main Candidates in this Election:
There are 35 total candidates running for the Presidency[1].
- Candidate: Sajith PREMADASA
- Party: New Democratic Front
- Candidate: Gotabhaya RAJAPAKSA
- Party: Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)
- Candidate: Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKA
- Party: Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)
- Candidate: Mahesh SENANAYAKE
- Party: National People's Party
- Candidate: Ajantha PERERA
- Party: Socialist Party of Sri Lanka
- Candidate: Rohan PALLEWATTE
- Party: National Freedom Front
- Candidate: Duminda NAGAMUWA
- Party: Frontline Socialist Party (FLSP)
- Candidate: Jayantha KETAGODA
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Siripala AMARASINGHE
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Aparekke PUNNANANDA THERO
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Saman PERERA
- Party: Our Power of People Party
- Candidate: Ariyawansha DISSANAYAKE
- Party: Democratic United National Front (DUNF)
- Candidate: Sirithunga JAYASURIYA
- Party: United Socialist Party (USP)
- Candidate Warnakulasooriya Milroy Surgeus FERNANDO
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Badde GAMAGE NANDIMITHRA
- Party: Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP)
- Candidate: Pani WIJESIRIWARDENE
- Party: Socialist Equality Party
- Candidate: Sarath MANAMENDRA
- Party: New Sinhala Heritage
- Candidate: A. S. P. LIYANAGE
- Party: Sri Lanka Labour Party
- Candidate: Chandrasekara Herath Hitihami Koralalage SAMANSIRI
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Sarath KEERTHIRATHNA
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Anuruddha POLGAMPOLA
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Samaraweera WEERAVANNI
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Ashoka WADIGAMANGAWA
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Battaramulle SEELARATHANA THERO
- Party: Jana Setha Peramuna
- Candidate: Idroos Mohamadhu ILLIYAS
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Piyasiri WIJENAYAKE
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Rajiva WIJESINHA
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Aruna DE SOYZA
- Party: Democratic National Movement
- Candidate: Ajantha DE ZOYSA
- Party: Ruhunu Janatha Peramuna
- Candidate: Namal RAJAPAKSA
- Party: National Unity Alliance
- Candidate: M. K. SHIVAJILINGAM
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: M. L. A. M. HIZBULLAH
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: P.M. EDIRISINGHE
- Party: Okkoma Wasiyo Okkoma Rajawaru Sanwidhanaya
- Candidate: A.H.M. ALAVI
- Party: Independent
- Candidate: Subbramaniyam GUNARATNAM
- Party: Our National Front
Population and Registered Voters:
Gender Data:
- Female Population: 11,090,000[4]
- Is Sri Lanka a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)[5]
- Has Sri Lanka ratified CEDAW: Yes (5 October 1981)[6]
- Gender Quota: No[7]
- Female Candidates in this election: Yes
- Number of Female Legislators: 12 (5.3%)[8]
- Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 76[9]
- Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High[10]
Disability Data: