Electoral districts in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
The 1978 Constitution
Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been the constitution of the island nation of Sri Lanka since its original promulgation by the National State Assembly on 7 September 1978. It is Sri Lanka's second republican constitution, and its third constitution since the...

 of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 provides for the election
Elections in Sri Lanka
Elections in Sri Lanka gives information on election and election results in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a six year term by the people...

 of members
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 of Parliament
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...

 from 22 multi-member electoral district
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...

s
through the proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...

 electoral system.

All but two of the electoral districts are conterminous with their namesake administrative district
Districts of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, districts are the second-level administrative divisions, and are included in a province. There are 25 districts organized into 9 provinces. Each district is administered under a District Secretary, who is appointed by the central government...

. The two exceptions are Jaffna
Jaffna Electoral District
Jaffna Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district covers the administrative districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in the Northern province...

 (which covers the administrative districts of Jaffna
Jaffna District
Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to...

 and Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi District
Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...

) and Vanni (which covers the administrative districts of Mannar
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...

, Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...

 and Vavuniya
Vavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...

). The first general election which used these electoral districts was in 1989
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1989
Sri Lanka had not had a parliamentary election since 1977. The elections that should normally have been held by 1983 had been cancelled by the 1982 referendum.President Ranasinghe Premadasa called the election for February 15.-Electoral District:...

.

Constitutional provision

According to the constitution the Parliament should consist of 225 seats (members):
  • 36 seats were allocated to the nine provinces
    Provinces of Sri Lanka
    In Sri Lanka, provinces are the first level administrative division. They were first established by the British rulers of Ceylon in 1833. Over the next century most of the administrative functions were transferred to the districts, the second level administrative division. By the middle of the...

    , four each (section 96(4)). A delimitation commission would apportion the four seats between the electoral districts in each province.
  • 160 seats were allocated to the electoral districts (section 98). An election commission would apportion the seats annually based on the number of registered electors.
  • 29 seats were reserved for the national list
    National List Member of Parliament
    A National List Member of Parliament is an unelected Member of Parliament who is appointed by a political party or an independent group to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The number of national list MPs allocated to a contending party or an independent group depends on the proportion to their share...

     (section 99A).

Delimitation commission

The constitution required the establishment of a delimitation commission for the delimitation of the electoral districts and apportion the 36 provincial seats. The constitution limited the number of electoral districts to between 20 and 25.

The Delimitation Commission was appointed on 29 November 1978. It's decision was published on 15 January 1981. The country was divided into 22 electoral districts. 21 of the 22 electoral districts were conterminous with their namesake administrative district
Districts of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, districts are the second-level administrative divisions, and are included in a province. There are 25 districts organized into 9 provinces. Each district is administered under a District Secretary, who is appointed by the central government...

. The other electoral district - Vanni - consisted of the administrative districts of Mannar
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...

, Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...

 and Vavuniya
Vavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...

. The 36 provincial seats were apportioned as follows:
  • Central Province - Kandy 1; Matale 1; Nuwara Eliya 2.
  • Eastern Province
    Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

     - Ampara 2; Batticaloa 1; Trincomalee 1.
  • Northern Province
    Northern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

     - Jaffna 1, Vanni 3.
  • North Central Province
    North Central Province, Sri Lanka
    North Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka. Its capital is Anuradhapura. The province is not densely populated with a weak economy, as the land tends to be dry tropical woodlands.-History:...

     - Anuradhapura 2, Polonnaruwa 2.
  • North Western Province
    North Western Province, Sri Lanka
    North Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...

     - Kurunegala 2, Puttalam 2.
  • Sabaragamuwa Province - Kegalla 2; Ratnapura 2.
  • Southern Province
    Southern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...

     - Galle 1, Matara 1; Hambantota 2.
  • Uva Province - Badulla 2; Monaragala 2.
  • Western Province
    Western Province, Sri Lanka
    The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...

     - Colombo 2; Gampaha 1; Kalutara 1.


Kilinochchi Administrative District
Kilinochchi District
Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...

 was created from southern Jaffna Administrative District
Jaffna District
Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to...

 in February 1984. Consequently Jaffna Electoral District now consists of administrative districts (Jaffna and Kilinochchi).

Jaffna seats controversy

The annual updating of the electoral register
Electoral register
The electoral roll is a listing of all those registered to vote in a particular area. The register facilitates the process of voting, helps to prevent fraud and may also be used to select people for jury duty...

 in Sri Lanka is done by house-to-house enumeration. The civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

 prevented house-to-house enumeration from taking place in most of the Northern Province
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

 from the mid-1980s onwards. For these areas the Department of Elections instead took the previous year's register and added anyone who had since turned 18.

The civil war resulted in significant population displacement and emigration from the Northern Province. Two of the biggest displacements occurred in 1995 and 2008. Virtually the entire population of the Jaffna peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...

 fled to the Vanni
Vanni (Sri Lanka)
The Vanni is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately 7,650 km2...

 in 1995 to escape the military onslaught by the Sri Lankan military as they tried to recapture the peninsula from the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...

. Most of the population of the Vanni were displaced in 2008 as they fled the military onslaught by the Sri Lankan military to recapture the Vanni from the LTTE. Hundreds of thousands fled abroad from the Northern Province during the civil war. Tens of thousands also fled to other parts of Sri Lanka outside the conflict zone, particularly to the capital Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

.

As a consequence of all this the electoral register for the Northern Province was overstated for many years. The civil war ended in May 2009 and in 2010 the first house-to-house enumeration in around 25 years took place in most of the Northern Province. The result of the enumeration was that about 300,000 electors were deleted from the electoral register for the Northern Province. Consequently the total number of parliamentary seats allocated to Jaffna Electoral District, one of the two electoral districts that make up the Northern Province, was reduced from 10 (2009) to 6 (2010). The number of parliamentary seats allocated to Vanni Electoral District, the other electoral district in the Northern Province, remained unchanged at 6.

Jaffna Electoral District's problems were exacerbated by the decision of the 1978 Delimitation Commission to allocate it only one of the four provincial seats - the other three provincial seats were allocated to Vanni Electoral District even though at that time Jaffna had more than four times the number of electors than Vanni. This decision meant that 30 years later Jaffna has the same number of total seats (six) as Vanni despite having more than twice the number of electors. Jaffna now also has one fewer seat than Ampara Electoral District
Ampara Electoral District
Ampara Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Ampara in Ampara District, Eastern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing...

, Hambantota Electoral District
Hambantota Electoral District
Hambantota electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Hambantota in the Southern province...

 and Nuwara Eliya Electoral District
Nuwara Eliya Electoral District
Nuwara Eliya electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Nuwara Eliya in the Central province...

 despite having more electors. It has two fewer seats than Puttalam Electoral District
Puttalam Electoral District
Puttalam electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Puttalam in the North Western province...

 despite having only 25,000 fewer electors.

The decision by the Department of Elections to reduce Jaffna's seats has drawn much criticism, particularly by opposition parties. They point out that although there are only a small number of people still in IDP camps, tens of thousands had not returned to their homes and were living with relatives due to the existence of High Security Zones and ongoing de-mining. It is not known if all of these people were registered to vote. For most people in the Northern Province rebuilding their lives after the devastating civil war was far more important than registering to vote. Many also hadn't any form of identification to register as they had lost their official documents during the frequent displacements. As result the electoral register for Jaffna Electoral District was now likely to be understated. It is also not known if those who had fled to other parts of Sri Lanka like Colombo were registered to vote in those areas. The government and the Department of Elections have rejected the criticism, saying that they were only doing what the constitution required them to do.

Current

Number of seats per electoral district according to the 2010 electoral register published on 18 July 2011.
Electoral
District
Province
Provinces of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, provinces are the first level administrative division. They were first established by the British rulers of Ceylon in 1833. Over the next century most of the administrative functions were transferred to the districts, the second level administrative division. By the middle of the...


Area
km2

Polling
Divisions
Population
(2009)

Registered
Electors
(2010)
Sect. 98
Seats
(2010)
Sect. 96(4)
Seats
(1979)
Total
Seats
(2010)
Ampara
Ampara Electoral District
Ampara Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Ampara in Ampara District, Eastern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing...

Eastern
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

4,415 4 634,000 436,148 5 2 7
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura Electoral District
Anuradhapura electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Anuradhapura in the North Central province...

North Central
North Central Province, Sri Lanka
North Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka. Its capital is Anuradhapura. The province is not densely populated with a weak economy, as the land tends to be dry tropical woodlands.-History:...

7,179 7 820,000 598,274 7 2 9
Badulla
Badulla Electoral District
Badulla electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Badulla in the Uva province...

Uva 2,861 9 874,000 590,341 7 2 9
Batticaloa
Batticaloa Electoral District
Batticaloa Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Batticaloa in the Eastern province...

Eastern
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

2,854 3 537,000 344,750 4 1 5
Colombo
Colombo Electoral District
Colombo electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Colombo in the Western province...

Western
Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...

699 15 2,521,000 1,542,491 17 2 19
Galle
Galle Electoral District
Galle electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Galle in the Southern province...

Southern
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...

1,652 10 1,074,000 784,530 9 1 10
Gampaha
Gampaha Electoral District
Gampaha electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Gampaha in the Western province...

Western
Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...

1,387 13 2,165,000 1,529,563 17 1 18
Hambantota
Hambantota Electoral District
Hambantota electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Hambantota in the Southern province...

Southern
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...

2,609 4 565,000 438,202 5 2 7
Jaffna
Jaffna Electoral District
Jaffna Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district covers the administrative districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in the Northern province...

Northern
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

2,304 11 761,000 484,791 5 1 6
Kalutara
Kalutara Electoral District
Kalutara electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kalutara in the Western province...

Western
Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...

1,598 8 1,128,000 845,626 9 1 10
Kandy
Kandy Electoral District
Kandy electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kandy in the Central province...

Central 1,940 13 1,415,000 997,807 11 1 12
Kegalle
Kegalle Electoral District
Kegalle electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kegalle in the Sabaragamuwa province...

Sabaragamuwa 1,693 9 813,000 629,669 7 2 9
Kurunegala
Kurunegala Electoral District
Kurunegala electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kurunegala in the North Western province...

North Western
North Western Province, Sri Lanka
North Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...

4,816 14 1,550,000 1,209,323 14 2 16
Matale
Matale Electoral District
Matale electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Matale in the Central province...

Central 1,993 4 490,000 354,112 4 1 5
Matara
Matara Electoral District
Matara electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Matara in the Southern province...

Southern
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...

1,283 7 831,000 593,778 7 1 8
Monaragala
Monaragala Electoral District
Monaragala electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Monaragala in the Uva province...

Uva 5,639 3 435,000 315,452 3 2 5
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya Electoral District
Nuwara Eliya electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Nuwara Eliya in the Central province...

Central 1,741 4 755,000 482,550 5 2 7
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa Electoral District
Polonnaruwa electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Polonnaruwa in the North Central province...

North Central
North Central Province, Sri Lanka
North Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka. Its capital is Anuradhapura. The province is not densely populated with a weak economy, as the land tends to be dry tropical woodlands.-History:...

3,293 3 405,000 290,494 3 2 5
Puttalam
Puttalam Electoral District
Puttalam electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Puttalam in the North Western province...

North Western
North Western Province, Sri Lanka
North Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...

3,072 5 770,000 509,714 6 2 8
Ratnapura
Ratnapura Electoral District
Ratnapura electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Ratnapura in the Sabaragamuwa province...

Sabaragamuwa 3,275 8 1,113,000 761,336 9 2 11
Trincomalee
Trincomalee Electoral District
Trincomalee Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Trincomalee in the Eastern province...

Eastern
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

2,727 3 368,000 246,890 3 1 4
Vanni Northern
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

6,580 3 426,000 236,449 3 3 6
National List
National List Member of Parliament
A National List Member of Parliament is an unelected Member of Parliament who is appointed by a political party or an independent group to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The number of national list MPs allocated to a contending party or an independent group depends on the proportion to their share...

29
Total 65,610 160 20,450,000 14,222,290 160 36 225

Historic

Historical allocation of seats.
Year | |Electoral District|Total
AMP
Ampara Electoral District
Ampara Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Ampara in Ampara District, Eastern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing...

 
ANU
Anuradhapura Electoral District
Anuradhapura electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Anuradhapura in the North Central province...

 
BAD
Badulla Electoral District
Badulla electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Badulla in the Uva province...

 
BAT
Batticaloa Electoral District
Batticaloa Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Batticaloa in the Eastern province...

 
COL
Colombo Electoral District
Colombo electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Colombo in the Western province...

 
GAL
Galle Electoral District
Galle electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Galle in the Southern province...

 
GAM
Gampaha Electoral District
Gampaha electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Gampaha in the Western province...

 
HAM
Hambantota Electoral District
Hambantota electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Hambantota in the Southern province...

 
JAF
Jaffna Electoral District
Jaffna Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district covers the administrative districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in the Northern province...

 
KAL
Kalutara Electoral District
Kalutara electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kalutara in the Western province...

 
KAN
Kandy Electoral District
Kandy electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kandy in the Central province...

 
KEG
Kegalle Electoral District
Kegalle electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kegalle in the Sabaragamuwa province...

 
KUR
Kurunegala Electoral District
Kurunegala electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Kurunegala in the North Western province...

 
MON
Monaragala Electoral District
Monaragala electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Monaragala in the Uva province...

 
MTL
Matale Electoral District
Matale electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Matale in the Central province...

 
MTR
Matara Electoral District
Matara electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Matara in the Southern province...

 
NUW
Nuwara Eliya Electoral District
Nuwara Eliya electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Nuwara Eliya in the Central province...

 
POL
Polonnaruwa Electoral District
Polonnaruwa electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Polonnaruwa in the North Central province...

 
PUT
Puttalam Electoral District
Puttalam electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Puttalam in the North Western province...

 
RAT
Ratnapura Electoral District
Ratnapura electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Ratnapura in the Sabaragamuwa province...

 
TRI
Trincomalee Electoral District
Trincomalee Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Trincomalee in the Eastern province...

 
VAN
2010 Electors 436,148 598,274 590,341 344,750 1,542,491 784,530 1,529,563 438,202 484,791 845,626 997,807 629,669 1,209,323 315,452 354,112 593,778 482,550 290,494 509,714 761,336 246,890 236,449 14,222,290
Sect. 98 Seats 5 7 7 4 17 9 17 5 5 9 11 7 14 3 4 7 5 3 6 9 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 9 9 5 19 10 18 7 6 10 12 9 16 5 5 8 7 5 8 11 4 6 196
2009 Electors 426,109 585,934 581,971 335,882 1,503,310 770,570 1,497,814 428,636 816,005 826,921 976,789 620,090 1,193,228 308,230 345,104 584,800 467,103 284,279 500,751 746,029 245,155 270,707 14,315,417
Sect. 98 Seats 5 7 6 4 17 9 17 5 9 9 11 7 13 3 4 6 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 9 8 5 19 10 18 7 10 10 12 9 15 5 5 7 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2008 Electors 420,835 579,261 574,814 333,644 1,521,854 761,815 1,474,464 421,186 721,359 813,233 970,456 613,938 1,183,649 300,642 342,684 578,858 457,137 280,337 495,575 734,651 241,133 266,975 14,088,500
Sect. 98 Seats 5 7 6 4 17 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 9 8 5 19 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2007 Electors 414,523 569,417 561,021 331,269 1,560,593 753,172 1,458,295 414,112 716,435 801,326 955,108 605,626 1,171,881 294,761 338,946 576,208 452,395 277,056 489,852 713,205 240,632 262,539 13,958,372
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2006 Electors 409,308 558,413 554,026 330,950 1,543,282 747,190 1,430,679 408,240 710,174 788,606 940,923 599,435 1,160,274 288,650 334,680 573,833 450,390 272,634 484,076 701,379 242,463 259,113 13,788,718
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2005 Electors 399,395 547,303 541,331 324,387 1,502,967 736,813 1,397,358 401,540 707,309 772,999 923,017 589,676 1,140,125 282,724 328,938 568,125 449,539 266,652 476,781 684,529 242,112 254,751 13,538,371
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2004 Electors 396,453 536,808 533,163 318,728 1,468,537 732,289 1,364,180 396,595 701,938 764,305 907,038 583,282 1,124,076 276,109 321,876 562,987 447,225 263,609 470,604 668,217 238,755 250,386 13,327,160
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 16 5 8 9 11 7 14 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 17 7 9 10 12 9 16 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2003 Electors 387,512 523,485 518,958 310,172 1,450,845 723,080 1,339,715 389,998 651,361 753,327 891,356 574,917 1,104,895 268,517 316,847 555,929 439,861 259,039 460,084 655,248 229,315 229,535 13,033,996
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 16 5 8 9 11 7 14 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 17 7 9 10 12 9 16 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2002 Electors 379,044 514,149 511,115 303,928 1,467,751 716,608 1,327,145 384,361 644,279 746,138 880,632 570,299 1,089,482 262,742 312,556 550,503 436,236 254,061 450,057 647,035 224,307 226,604 12,899,032
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 16 5 8 9 11 7 14 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 17 7 9 10 12 9 16 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2001 Electors 369,427 500,673 500,738 291,730 1,461,334 708,430 1,305,582 377,428 637,066 732,798 863,019 562,123 1,069,619 254,802 305,698 543,205 424,513 247,513 440,768 634,843 217,572 225,007 12,673,888
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 16 5 8 9 11 7 14 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 17 7 9 10 12 9 16 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
2000 Electors 360,497 489,776 491,288 282,079 1,440,682 698,558 1,285,973 369,073 633,457 717,764 838,687 554,698 1,046,102 247,280 299,606 534,694 417,264 240,444 426,193 623,506 212,280 218,861 12,428,762
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 19 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 21 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 6 196
1999 Electors 352,537 472,661 475,558 275,485 1,385,547 678,509 1,253,416 360,026 622,331 697,656 812,478 545,238 1,007,410 237,935 292,652 524,651 405,414 229,434 412,474 609,655 206,884 213,111 12,071,062
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
1998 Electors 343,809 459,534 464,223 270,197 1,337,083 660,585 1,228,908 350,809 612,770 682,723 794,453 534,980 980,725 230,576 286,174 515,847 397,711 220,903 404,050 595,791 201,808 205,541 11,779,200
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
1997 Electors 336,165 448,098 454,913 268,200 1,326,487 652,734 1,213,589 342,347 622,957 676,963 780,136 528,107 961,240 224,077 281,089 510,310 391,585 217,318 398,055 584,998 197,620 202,108 11,619,096
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 9 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 10 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 6 196
1996 Electors 329,929 436,002 449,901 269,906 1,305,511 642,990 1,196,445 336,158 596,639 675,528 766,300 520,720 938,583 217,508 275,882 503,602 388,455 213,174 393,318 574,591 195,867 196,128 11,423,137
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
1995 Electors 327,824 429,790 447,187 269,385 1,296,243 640,065 1,187,657 335,273 596,373 669,224 752,817 515,976 921,601 210,972 270,920 503,039 388,114 209,546 391,053 568,481 195,897 184,708 11,312,145
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 6 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 8 10 4 6 196
1994 Electors 325,566 411,899 445,298 267,463 1,299,879 641,360 1,185,288 332,541 596,373 665,135 744,055 508,691 901,027 202,889 263,700 504,676 390,335 204,631 388,335 561,186 191,722 181,232 11,213,281
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 8 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 6 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 9 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 8 5 7 10 4 6 196
1993 Electors 312,006 406,926 435,260 261,898 1,235,959 632,422 1,140,808 326,913 596,366 646,199 726,192 500,947 876,591 199,391 259,271 503,470 386,668 200,192 380,192 554,607 184,090 178,697 10,945,065
Sect. 98 Seats 4 6 6 4 18 9 17 5 9 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 6 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 8 8 5 20 10 18 7 10 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 8 5 7 10 4 6 196
1992 Electors 315,101 398,936 433,862 254,057 1,263,667 622,127 1,116,072 323,653 596,413 639,275 719,289 494,706 858,638 200,601 255,493 493,503 367,189 196,031 371,192 546,992 181,168 174,177 10,822,142
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 19 9 16 5 9 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 21 10 17 7 10 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 6 196
1991 Electors 308,086 389,052 430,752 243,659 1,255,273 619,880 1,101,017 321,252 596,413 634,383 708,758 489,914 864,279 194,956 251,484 487,807 363,291 196,255 362,255 538,308 177,830 166,860 10,701,764
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 19 9 16 5 9 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 21 10 17 7 10 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 6 196
1990 Electors 294,088 369,468 417,274 229,244 1,190,630 606,611 1,057,474 314,304 596,410 611,288 694,516 478,144 847,524 186,614 244,473 476,841 342,786 184,366 349,068 517,784 166,367 166,031 10,341,305
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 18 9 16 5 9 10 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 20 10 17 7 10 11 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 6 196
1989 Electors 289,668 360,811 397,323 229,244 1,177,720 599,504 1,033,334 308,109 596,410 601,756 682,807 469,209 823,261 179,408 236,115 467,338 336,815 177,700 341,856 505,097 160,093 166,193 10,139,771
Sect. 98 Seats 5 6 6 4 19 9 16 5 9 9 11 7 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 3 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 7 8 8 5 21 10 17 7 10 10 12 9 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 6 196
1988 Electors 271,792 349,888 385,865 216,420 1,158,088 585,181 1,009,845 301,015 592,210 588,439 669,276 463,476 811,373 175,029 226,866 458,005 308,953 171,260 331,893 499,486 155,548 141,448 9,871,356
Sect. 98 Seats 4 6 6 3 19 9 16 5 10 10 11 8 13 3 4 7 5 3 5 8 3 2 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 8 8 4 21 10 17 7 11 11 12 10 15 5 5 8 7 5 7 10 4 5 196
1987 Electors 265,951 334,063 329,464 217,276 1,088,640 571,109 969,634 295,181 591,074 570,194 628,373 437,171 784,989 161,927 214,939 451,926 229,510 163,745 318,755 457,225 152,289 141,445 9,374,880
Sect. 98 Seats 4 6 6 4 18 10 16 5 10 10 11 7 13 3 4 8 4 3 5 8 3 2 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 8 8 5 20 11 17 7 11 11 12 9 15 5 5 9 6 5 7 10 4 5 196
1986 Electors 255,783 324,317 319,127 209,926 1,060,813 560,709 943,343 284,948 580,798 554,855 612,723 423,246 762,468 153,477 211,351 443,821 220,675 159,265 308,215 447,426 149,916 135,065 9,122,267
Sect. 98 Seats 4 6 5 4 19 10 16 5 10 10 11 7 13 3 4 8 4 3 5 8 3 2 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 8 7 5 21 11 17 7 11 11 12 9 15 5 5 9 6 5 7 10 4 5 196
1985 Electors 248,179 315,911 313,697 205,122 1,060,830 555,527 923,981 277,084 569,743 548,186 618,817 439,753 738,892 154,896 206,461 439,469 215,560 154,391 298,893 449,178 149,495 132,593 9,016,658
Sect. 98 Seats 4 5 5 4 19 10 16 5 10 10 11 8 13 3 4 8 4 3 5 8 3 2 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 7 7 5 21 11 17 7 11 11 12 10 15 5 5 9 6 5 7 10 4 5 196
1984 Electors 238,647 308,332 306,111 196,965 1,047,904 552,856 910,981 269,298 555,302 540,316 609,248 436,052 730,696 152,136 203,025 432,689 215,910 148,853 294,358 440,731 148,064 132,081 8,870,555
Sect. 98 Seats 4 6 5 3 19 10 16 5 10 10 11 8 13 3 4 8 4 3 5 8 3 2 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 8 7 4 21 11 17 7 11 11 12 10 15 5 5 9 6 5 7 10 4 5 196
1979 Electors 185,286 245,950 255,749 157,765 911,251 483,005 778,344 222,040 463,414 469,501 530,517 386,962 670,230 111,405 175,225 380,107 187,101 112,411 243,581 375,005 119,872 108,493 7,573,214
Sect. 98 Seats 4 5 6 3 19 10 17 5 10 10 11 8 14 2 4 8 4 2 5 8 3 2 160
Sect. 96(4) Seats 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 36
Total Seats 6 7 8 4 21 11 18 7 11 11 12 10 16 4 5 9 6 4 7 10 4 5 196
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