Official name

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Form of state

Executive presidency based on the French model

The executive

The president is the head of state, with executive powers. Elected for a period of six years by universal adult suffrage, the president may dissolve parliament 12 months after a legislative election

National legislature

Unicameral legislature; the 225 members are directly elected for six years under a system of modified proportional representation

Local government

Under the 13th amendment to the constitution, passed in 1987, extensive powers have been devolved to nine directly elected provincial councils with a view to meeting Tamil demands for greater autonomy. Several provincial council elections in 2008-09 were won by the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) or parties affiliated to it

National elections

The president and parliament are elected for six-year terms, but elections may be called early provided that certain constitutional conditions are met. In the 2010 presidential election the UPFA candidate, Mahinda Rajapakse, secured re-election with a clear victory, winning just under 58% of the vote; an estimated 74.5% of the electorate voted. The next presidential election will take place by November 2015; the next parliamentary election will be held by April 2016

National government

Mr Rajapakse, of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), was elected for his first term as president in 2005 and re-elected in January 2010. The UPFA was re-elected in April 2010 with 60.4% of the vote, giving it 144 seats in the 225-seat legislature. This represented a major victory for the UPFA but left it short of the two-thirds majority required to change the constitution

Main political organisations

Governing coalition: the UPFA, now based mainly around the People's Alliance (PA), which itself is built around the SLFP. Other main parties: the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the United National Party (UNP), the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC), the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)

Main members of the government

President; also in charge of defence & finance: Mahinda Rajapakse

Prime minister: D M Jayaratne

Key ministers

Agriculture: Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

Defence secretary: Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Disaster management: A H M Fowzie

Economic development: Basil Rajapakse

Foreign affairs: G L Peiris

Industry & commerce: Rishad Bathiyutheen

Irrigation & water resources management: Nimal Siripala de Silva

Justice: Athauda Seneviratne

Petroleum industries: Susil Premajayantha

Post & telecommunications: Jeewan Kumaranatunga

Power & energy: Champika Ranawaka

Public management reforms: Ratnasiri Wickramanayake

State resources & enterprise development: P Dayaratne

Central bank governor

Ajith Nivard Cabraal