The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon)

Capital: Colombo

Population: 18.5 million (1996).

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor (Muslims) 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%

Religions: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%

Languages: Sinhala 74%, Tamil 18% (official languages). English is also commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population.

Constitution

Sri Lanka became independent on February 4, 1948. The constitution of September 8, 1978 guarantees fundamental rights under a unitary state with strong executive power. The President, elected directly for a six-year term, serves as head of state and commander of the armed forces. The President also appoints a cabinet of ministers. He can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of parliament and the concurrence of the Supreme Court. The President's deputy is the prime minister who leads the ruling party in parliament.

The legislature consists of a 225-member unicameral parliament. Its members are chosen by universal suffrage from electoral constituencies for six year terms. All Sri Lankans over 18 can vote.

The 1978 constitution guarantees independence of the judiciary, the legal system is based on the English common law with elements of Napoleonic law and customs of the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities. Under the Indo-Sri Lankan accord of July 1987, the government of Sri Lanka agreed to devolve significant authority to provincial councils which are directly elected for five-year terms. Despite enormous unrest and social problems, Sri Lanka has a democratic tradition matched by few other developing nations.

Political History

Two parties, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have dominated Sri Lankan politics since independence. The UNP ruled from 1948-56 under three prime ministers, D S Senanayake who was seen as evenhanded in his treatment of ethnic groups, his son, Dudley Senanayake and Sir John Kotelawala. The 1956 election was a turning point and saw the beginnings of communal violence.

The SLFP won the 1956 election under SWRD Bandaranaike, who ran on a 'Sinhala only' platform which decreed that Sinhalese would be the only official language and that Buddhism would be pre-eminent in society. Tension rose and riots erupted in 1958.

The SLFP ruled from 1956-65 (apart from a brief period in 1960). They were led by Bandaranaike, who was assassinated in 1959. After his death his widow, Sirimavo, took over, becoming the world's first woman prime minister. She continued the campaign to push Sinhalese interests over those of the Tamils. Dudley Senanayake returned to power in 1965.

In 1970, Sirimavo Bandaranaike resumed power and in 1971 her new government sanctioned new university admissions regulations that discriminated against Tamils. In 1971, the Maoist JVP emerged on the scene and began an insurrection in 1972. The government imposed emergency rule which lasted six years. In 1972 a new constitution was introduced and the country's name was changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka. The changes also made the protection of Buddhism a constitutional principle and weakened the role of the president who was now to be appointed by the prime minister.

The Bandaranaike government also pursued a quasi-socialist agenda, with the nationalisation of large plantations.

The UNP came to power under JR Jayewardene in 1977 and there followed a new constitution in 1978, with a stronger presidency based on the system of the French Fifth Republic. Jayawardene was elected president by parliament in 1978 and by national elections in 1982. A 1982 referendum also extended the life of the parliament by another six years. Jayewardene ended many of the excesses of the Bandaranaike government but failed to fully confront the causes of communal tension and problems.

The 1982 election was boycotted by the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and its sixteen members were expelled for not swearing a loyalty oath. Rioting on an unprecedented scale broke out in 1983 leading to a breakdown of order that has yet to be resolved. As the 1988 elections drew closer, Jayawardene announced that he would not run for President.

Ranasinghe Premadasa of the UNP defeated Mrs Bandaranaike of the SLFP in the 1988 Presidential elections and the UNP won an absolute majority in the 1989 parliamentary elections. Premadasa was assassinated on May 1, 1993 and was replaced as President by Prime Minister Dingiri Banda Wijetunga, who appointed Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister.

The SLFP returned to power in coalition in 1994. The coalition, the People's Alliance, won a plurality in the August 1994 parliamentary elections. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the daughter of Sirimavo Bandaranaike and the widow of the assassinated film-star-turned-politician Vijaya Kumaratunga, became Prime Minister.

After victory in the March 1997 local government elections, the PA government pushed forward with a new military campaign but tensions are emerging within the government coalition and in relations with the opposition UNP.

The Economy

Despite abundant natural resources, Sri Lanka remains a poor country with a per capita income of about $690. While poverty has fallen somewhat since Independence in 1948, 22% of households are still below the poverty line. With its resources, both natural and human, Sri Lanka could have achieved far higher growth than it has, were it not for social and ethnic conflict, political unrest and poor economic management.

Since 1960, Sri Lanka has seen per capita growth of around 2.5% a year, better than many African nations, but not comparable to the Asian tigers. Poor policies have led to inflation, a poor trade policy and high unemployment. Inefficient state enterprises have also continued to drain the state purse.

Since 1977, Sri Lanka has been trying to open up its economy and aid the development of the private sector. But the process of reform has been undermined by the civil war that began in the early 1980s and continues to the present day. Sri Lanka's main exports are tea, clothing, rubber, industrial products and coconut products.

Tourism was a major source of revenue but also has been hit by the unrest. Unemployment has been a persistent problem in the country leading to a postal-order economy in some respects. Thousands of Sri Lankan housemaids work in the Gulf to subsidise their families at home.