election FAQ

Elections in Sri Lanka: 2018 Local Government Elections

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On February 10, Sri Lanka will hold elections for all of its 341 local government bodies, after a two-year delay due in part to the adoption of a new, mixed-member proportional (MMP) system and the subsequent need for a new delimitation of electoral wards.

Under the MMP system, 60 percent of the seats (totaling 5,092) are elected through the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system and 40 percent (totaling 3,394) are elected through a proportional representation (PR) system for a total of 8,486 local government representatives. For the upcoming local government elections, Sri Lanka will also be implementing a women’s quota for the first time. The new legal framework marks a significant change from the previous system, which used PR only without quota provisions.

To help you understand this important electoral process, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) provides Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Elections in Sri Lanka: 2018 Local Government Elections. IFES FAQs include:

  • What is the electoral system for the local government elections?
  • How does the women’s quota work at the local level?
  • What is the role of the Election Commission and what are its powers?
  • How will voters with disabilities cast their ballots?