Sri Lanka

Government organization

Sri Lanka is a unitary republic with three spheres of government: central, intermediate (provincial), and local.

Central government

Head of State: The President is directly elected by voters.
Head of Government: The Prime Minister is the member of Parliament, who, in the President's opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
Legislative body: Parliament is a unicameral legislature whose members are directly elected by voters.
Executive body: The Cabinet of Ministers is composed of the President and a maximum of 30 additional ministers. The President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints the ministers from amongst the members of Parliament.

Provincial-level government (පළාත/ மாகாணம்)

Legislative body: The provincial council is composed of the chairperson and members who are directly elected by voters. The chairperson is elected by and from the provincial council to preside over it; the chairperson is not vested with executive powers.
Executive body: The board of ministers is composed of the chief minister and one to four additional ministers. The chief minister is the provincial council member who is best able to command the support of a majority of the council members, as appointed by the provincial governor. The provincial governor, on the advice of the chief minister, appoints the additional ministers from amongst the members of the provincial council. The executive head of the provincial level of government is the provincial governor, who is appointed by the President of Sri Lanka.

Local government

Organization: Local government is organized into one tier of 23 municipalities, 41 town-level local government units, and 271 village-level local government units.
Autonomies: Local government is responsible for levying local taxes, making statutes and regulations, and adopting a local budget.
Ministerial oversight: The Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils is responsible for central government oversight of local government.

Overview of local government

Local government composition

Municipalities (මහ නගර සභා/ நகராட்சிகள்)

Deliberative body: The municipal council is composed of the mayor and elected members. The mayor presides over the municipal council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The mayor is the executive at the municipal level of government.

Town-level government (නගර/ நகரங்களில்)

Deliberative body: The urban council is composed of the chairperson and elected members. The chairperson presides over the urban council; the chairperson is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The council chairperson is the executive at the town level of government.

Village-level government (ප්රාදේශීය සභා/ பிரதேச சபை)

Deliberative body: The pradeshiya sabha is composed of the chairperson and elected members. The chairperson presides over the pradeshiya sabha; the chairperson is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The chairperson is the executive at the pradeshiya sabha level of government.

Local government elections

Electoral system

Electoral system for local deliberative bodies: mixed: majority/plurality (first-past-the-post) and proportional representation (closed list)

Two candidate nomination lists must be submitted by each party participating in the local deliberative body elections. One list comprises the number of candidates equivalent to 60% of the total number of members of the local authority, and the other list comprises the number equivalent to 40% of the total number of members of the local authority, plus three additional names.
Using the first lists, 60% of council members are elected using a ward-based majority vote. Using the second lists, the additional persons lists, 40% of council members are elected using a proportional electoral system based on the proportion of seats their party wins.

Electoral system for mayors/chairpersons: winning list

The mayor/chairperson is nominated by the leader of the party that receives the highest number of votes within the council election.

Sources: Pradeshiya Sabhas Act, 1987 (amended through 2018), article 4; Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, 1947 (amended through 2017), articles 28, 65, 65(a), 65(b) and 66(b)

Quotas

Gender quotas: Legislated candidate quotas, sanctions

Within the first list for each party, at least 10% of total nominees must be women. Within the second list for each party, at least 50% of total nominees must be women. The Election Commission of Sri Lanka can reject any lists that do not comply with these quotas.
The Election Commissioner oversees that 25% of the total members to be elected and returned from each ward must be women.
These quotas do not apply if the number of members elected for a local authority exceeds the apportioned amount, and the 25% quota has not yet been met. Furthermore, if a party receives less than 20% of the total number of votes in a local authority and obtains fewer than three seats, the quota does not apply.

Additional quotas: No

Source: Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, 1947 (amended through 2017), articles 27F, 28 and 65

Term of elections

Term length: 4 years
Last local elections: 2018
Next local elections: 2022

Electoral management body

Election Commission of Sri Lanka

National legal framework on local government

National legal framework

Constitution of Sri Lanka, 1978 (amended through 2020);
Provincial Councils Elections Act, 1988 (amended through 2017);
Pradeshiya Sabhas Act, 1987 (amended through 2018);
Provincial Councils Act, 1987 (amended through 1998);
Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, 1947 (amended through 2017);
Municipal Councils Ordinance, 1947 (amended through 2017);
Urban Councils Ordinance, 1939 (amended through 2017);
Administrative Districts Act, 1955.

Constitutional provisions on local government

There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Sri Lanka. According to Schedule 9 of the Constitution of 1978 (amended through 2020), “local authorities for the purpose of Local Government and village administration, [are the] Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas. Local Authorities will have the powers vested in them under existing law. Municipal Councils and Urban Councils will have the powers vested in them under the Municipal Councils Ordinance and the Urban Councils Ordinance, Pradeshiya Sabha will have the powers vested in them under existing law. It will be open to a Provincial Council to confer additional powers on local authorities but not to take away their powers.”

Legislative provisions on local government

Parliament is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation which regulate local government are the Municipal Councils Ordinance, 1947 (amended through 2017), the Urban Councils Ordinance, 1939 (amended through 2017), and the Pradeshiya Sabhas Act of 1987 (amended through 2018), which establish municipal and urban councils for the purposes of local government in Sri Lanka and pradeshiya sabhas to provide greater opportunities for the people to participate effectively in decision-making process, relating to administrative and development activities at a local level.

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2023.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 3 October 2023.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2023.

4. IPU and UN Women: Data on share of women in ministerial positions as of 1 January 2023.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2022.

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Local government country profile

Local government country profile

Government organization

Overview of local government