Government’s local council woes

IT was second time lucky for the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) led Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) when at the second attempt, the Council’s Budget passed by a thin majority.

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The Budget was passed yesterday with 58 members voting in favour, while 56 voted against. Two members abstained from voting. The CMC Budget was put to a second vote after its first try in getting the Budget approved on 22 December failed with 60 voting against and 57for it. A gap of a few days seems to have worked magic for the NPP and helped it get the requisite numbers.

While the CMC is the icing on the cake of the local authorities in the county, since the elections were held in May 2025 to the local bodies, many have been mired in controversy with allegations of corruption, intimidation and arm twisting in a bid for the NPP to secure a majority in councils which it does not have a majority. Opposition members too have been causing chaos in some councils.

Firstly it was at the time that the Mayors or chairpersons of the councils were being elected. There were obviously deals done and though the NPP managed to get their persons elected to head a majority of the councils, many of these same councils have failed to get their Budgets passed.