Sri Lanka 

Key facts

POPULATION (Census 2001): 18,797,257
AREA: 65 610 sq km
CAPITAL: Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO GDP: -
CURRENCY: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT: President Mahinda Rajapaksa
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: democratic republic
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: unicameral
STATE STRUCTURE: unitary
LANGUAGES: Sinhala and Tamil (official)
NATIONAL ELECTIONS:                                                                      parliamentary last: 2010; turnout: - next: 2016
presidential last: 2010; turnout: - next: 2015
PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS: last: 2006 & 2008; next: 2011
LOCAL ELECTIONS: last: March 2008; next: March 2011

Summary

Sri Lanka is a unitary democratic republic with three levels of government: central, provincial and local. Local government is enshrined in the 13th amendment to the constitution. The secondtier provincial authorities are governed by the Provincial Councils Act 1987 and the main Acts relating to third-tier local authorities are the Urban Councils Ordinance 1939, the Municipal Councils Ordinance 1947 and the Pradeshiya Sabhas Act (No.15) 1988. The Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government is responsible for policy and legislation at the national level, while the provincial ministers of local government are responsible for the implementation at local level. There are nine second-tier provinces and 330 third-tier local authorities: 18 municipal councils, 42 urban councils and 270 rural pradeshiya sabhas. Grants are provided from provinces and from central government and local authorities are responsible for collection of taxes and user fees as well as property rates, rents and grants. Provincial councils’ responsibilities include internal law and order, provincial economic plans, education, housing and agriculture whilst local authorities have responsibility for health, utility services and roads. Pradeshiya sabhas have some additional developmental responsibilities.

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Additional information since publication:

17th March 2011 - Local Authorities Elections www.slelections.gov.lk/local_authorities2011/province.html