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Sri Lanka GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Constitution of September 7, 1978,
guarantees fundamental rights of thought, conscience, and worship
and established unitary state with strong executive power.
President, elected directly for six-year term, serves as chief of
state and government and appoints cabinet of ministers; October
1982 presidential election won by incumbent Junius R. ("J.R.")
Jayewardene of United National Party (UNP), who received 52.9
percent of vote. Legislature consists of 196-member unicameral
Parliament having power to pass laws by simple majority and amend
Constitution by two-thirds majority. Parliamentary members,
chosen by universal suffrage from electoral constituencies
corresponding generally to administrative districts, serve sixyear terms. Below national level, popularly elected provincial
councils established in seven of nine provinces in 1988. Until
provincial councils fully operational, basic administrative
subdivision remains district governed by council of elected and
appointed members, presided over by district minister, who serves
concurrently in Parliament. At lowest governmental echelon,
administrative functions carried out by popularly elected urban,
municipal, town, and village councils. In rural areas, village
councils exercise governance over 90 percent of nation's
territory.
Politics: UNP headed by President Jayewardene, in power
since 1977, retained over two-thirds majority in Parliament and
won provincial council elections in 1988. Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP), left-of-center, alternated in power with UNP since
independence, but boycotted 1988 provincial council elections,
and surrendered place as principal opposition group to newly
formed United Socialist Alliance (USA), which finished second in
elections. USA consisted of four left-of-center parties:
Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL), Ceylon Equal Society Party
(Lanka Sama Samaja Party--LSSP), New Equal Society Party (Nava
Sama Samaja Party--NSSP), and Sri Lanka People's Party (Sri Lanka
Mahajana Pakshaya--SLMP). Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) only
minor party to gain seats in provincial council elections. Tamil
United Liberation Front (TULF) principal Tamil party, advocates
separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka, but not represented in
Parliament since 1983. People's Liberation Front (Janatha
Vimukthi Peramuna--JVP), formally proscribed, in armed opposition
to government.
Administrative Divisions: Nine provinces (Northern and
Eastern provinces may be combined into a single province in
1989); twenty-four administrative districts.
Legal System: 1978 Constitution guarantees independence
of judiciary. Legal system based on British common law, RomanDutch (Napoleonic) law, and customary practices of Sinhalese,
Tamils, and Muslims. Supreme Court, highest court in nation, has
chief justice and between six and ten associate justices
appointed by president. Country divided into five judicial
circuits, subdivided into districts with district courts and
divisions with magistrates' courts. Lowest courts are
conciliation boards with responsibility for minor criminal and
civil cases.
International Memberships: Asian Development Bank,
Colombo Plan, Commonwealth of Nations, Group of 77, Intelsat,
Interpol, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nonaligned Movement, South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, United Nations and
specialized agencies, World Federation of Trade Unions.
Data as of October 1988
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