Let creative and enterprising people head local bodies, not those with party affiliations

Therefore, though NPP is still leading, its popularity has been gravely dented within just six months of forming a very strong Government.

- By W.A. Wijewardena

Thus, the strange outcome of the Local Government elections has been that the Opposition which did a lacklustre campaign is rising in popularity to the dismay of the Government. It shows the opposition of the people to the Government and its policies. Naturally, AKD should be unhappy.

The stand taken by both NPP and the Opposition parties on the formation of rule at the local level in local bodies is not in accord with the principles of local government. This is because local bodies are different from legislatures at the national level. At the national level in Parliament, there is a government party formed by MPs made up of majority and an opposition formed by the rest of the MPs who belong to the minority. Hence, there is a Prime Minister and the Cabinet of ministers representing the government in Parliament. Likewise, there is an opposition leader who represents the opposition.

At the local government level, there is no such division. There is a mayor in the case of a municipal council and a chairman in the case of other local bodies, namely, town councils, urban councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas. There is no formally appointed leader of opposition in terms of the law. This arrangement has been made to facilitate all the members to get together as a team to work for the furtherance of the people living within its area of authority.