The victory recorded by the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) with a setback, a considerable one at that, at last week’s Local Government (LG) Elections is an indication that the writing is now clear for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Government to engage in a much-needed introspective search while identifying the areas in need of course correction.
The JVP has been known to engage in a ritual where all members are subjected to what is called ‘self-criticism and criticism’ (svayan vivechana, vivechana), where each member is compelled to look inwards and correct themselves in areas where needed. The outcome of the 2025 LG Elections definitely shows the need for the ruling party to conduct this ritual before its popularity slides even further.
It is learnt that seniors in the ruling party have already held an initial discussion on the reasons for the JVP/NPP’s setback at the recent polls. It is also learnt that several JVP/NPP members have already given several reasons to the party seniors explaining the party’s performance at the LG Polls.
Among the reasons being pointed out are the failure of the JVP/NPP to realise that it is now the ruling party through some of its actions; false statements on key issues that were made by members of the Government; failure of JVP/NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) including seniors to engage with the grassroots, with many MPs not holding/attending public days, leaving many people disgruntled; the lack of work being carried out by State institutions while ministers have also failed in carrying out their work, as well as the failure to create awareness of the work being done; the failure to field individuals who are well known in their areas while sidelining efficient individuals; and the arrogant attitudes of some MPs.
On the claim of some JVP/NPP MPs being identified as ‘arrogant’ by members of the Opposition, Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake responded to this in Parliament, admitting to being arrogant. “Yes, we are arrogant. We are arrogant before rogues and criminals, but we are humble before the people,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, several JVP/NPP MPs have also made various statements explaining the reasons for the decline in the party’s votes. One MP has said that the party had faced a setback due to the delay in arresting individuals accused of corruption and crime while a Cabinet Minister has stated that the decline in votes was due to the new candidates fielded by the party without carrying out a propaganda campaign that included poster campaigns with their faces.
Be that as it may, the bottom line is that the ruling party has faced a considerable setback within several months of assuming office. The final result of last week’s LG Elections was achieved following a campaign that was led by none other than President AKD himself. Some political analysts have opined that the ruling party had managed to win the election even with the current vote percentage due to ‘brand AKD’ being used during the campaign.
It will also be important for the JVP/NPP to take note of the fact that the combined Opposition has polled more votes than the party and has more councillors in the LG bodies than the ruling party. Whereas the ruling JVP/NPP had polled around 4.5 million votes, the combined Opposition had polled around 5.9 million votes, which would signify that approval of the ruling party was underwater by around 1.4 million votes.
Also, while 3,926 JVP/NPP councillors have been elected to the LG bodies, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has 1,767 councillors, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has 742, the United National Party (UNP) has 381, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)-led People’s Alliance (PA) has 300, and other parties as well as independent groups have 1,776, which indicates that 4,966 councillors represent the combined Opposition.
Another key factor is that a large percentage of voters did not cast their votes at the LG Elections. Out of the 17,156,338 voters, only around 10.4 million voters had cast their votes at last week’s polls.
Message to the Opposition
Hence, the results of last week’s LG Elections, while sending out a strong message to the Government, have also sent out a clear message to Opposition parties as well.
The latest election results are being touted by the Opposition as a great victory for Opposition parties while being a defeat for the Government. What the Opposition has failed to comprehend is that the masses have not given them a clear majority in the LG bodies either. Also, the increasing number of voters choosing not to cast their votes at the recent elections indicates an increased disillusionment with both the Government as well as the Opposition.
The masses, at least the numbers that cast their votes at last week’s polls, have put the Government and Opposition on notice. While pushing the Government to look at where it has gone wrong, the Opposition parties have also been pushed to do better and to put egos aside as well as learn to work together as a combined Opposition.
While the JVP/NPP won 266 out of the 339 LG bodies, the party failed to secure a majority in 186 LG bodies, with no majority in 149 LG bodies and standing on par with the combined Opposition in 29 bodies. The JVP/NPP could only form the administrations of 116 LG bodies.
Be that as it may, the clear and loud message to the Opposition last week was that the only way forward for the parties, especially the SJB and UNP, was to join forces, or else perish.
The gainers
However, while the JVP/NPP recorded an erosion in its vote bank from the two national elections last year, almost all Opposition political parties recorded an increase in their votes from last year’s Parliamentary Elections.
The main Opposition SJB witnessed an increase in its vote percentage from around 17% at the last Parliamentary Elections to around 21% at the LG Elections while the SLPP campaign led by the party’s National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa at the LG Elections saw the party record an increase in its vote bank and an increase in its vote percentage from around 3% at the last Parliamentary Elections to around 9% at last week’s elections.
The Sarvajana Balaya led by Dilith Jayaweera, which could be considered the new kid on the block, also recorded a rise in its vote percentage from around 1% at last year’s Parliamentary Elections to close to 3% at the LG Elections.
2018 vs. 2025
The ruling party however has tried to dismiss the SLPP’s gains at last week’s polls by stating that the party has still failed in comparison to the last LG Elections in 2018 when it recorded an impressive victory, defeating the then ruling parties – the SLFP and the UNP. It was a common belief that it was the ruling party that won LG Elections until the trend was changed at the last 2018 LG Elections under the ‘Yahapalana’ Government, when the SLPP recorded a landslide victory, defeating the ruling parties.
However, it would be interesting to look at the number comparisons between the 2018 and 2025 outcomes. At the 2018 elections, the SLPP polled 4,941,952, which was 44.5% of the votes. This was when the party was in the Opposition. The JVP/NPP at last week’s LG Elections polled 4,503,930 votes, which was 43.26% of the votes, while being in Government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
It would therefore be wise for the JVP/NPP to stop making comparisons, which seems to indicate the party’s refusal or inability to understand the people’s message at the latest polls, and work towards addressing the areas that require attention.
Probing PM
Meanwhile, the LG Elections campaign saw Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya facing criticism and a call by election monitors for a probe by the Election Commission on a controversial statement made by her immediately prior to the silent period for the LG Elections. A video clip of the Premier shows her asking candidates and supporters to surreptitiously continue with their campaign work even during the silent period.
However, the Premier responded to the accusation of violating election laws, saying that she was prepared to face the consequences if she had violated them, adding that she had no intention of doing so.
It was reported last week that the Election Commission had requested the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) to probe the complaints received regarding the controversial statement made by the Prime Minister.
Notable absentees
Meanwhile, there were several absent senior political figures during last week’s polls. Former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR), Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Maithripala Sirisena were not seen casting their votes at last week’s LG Elections. While the media showed images and videos of senior politicians casting their votes at the polls, these three former Presidents were not seen casting their votes.
It is learnt that MR had been recuperating following surgery and had therefore not cast his vote, while Sirisena had earlier stated that he wanted to maintain a low profile and preferred to rest at home during the election period.
MR appears
However, following the conclusion of the LG Elections, MR was seen at several official engagements.
One engagement was to participate in a meeting with the new Palestinian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, which had taken place last Thursday (8) at his official residence on Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. The second engagement was when MR had attended the meeting of the SLPP Politburo last Friday (9) at his official residence.
JVP struggle
The JVP, which forms the nucleus of the ruling NPP, seems to be struggling with its own set of problems with the popularity of NPP members, including Prime Minister Amarasuriya, becoming quite discomfiting to the JVP since the party’s popularity is hinged solely on brand ‘AKD.’
Around 60 out of the 159 ruling party MPs represent the JVP with a majority representing the NPP, which has figured in several internal discussions of the JVP. This fact was recently confirmed by senior JVPer, Minister K.D. Lalkantha, who stated during an interview that he did not know a majority of the party’s MPs. He noted that sometimes he wondered whether some MPs in the House were SJB members when he came across them outside the Chamber.
It is this reason that pushed the JVP to field more JVP members at the LG Elections by limiting the number of NPP candidates. This has resulted in the NPP fielding JVPers who are not so popular in their villages to contest the LG Elections, resulting in the party’s outcome at the polls.
Maiden meetings in June
However, with the LG Elections now done and dusted, the focus has now shifted to forming the administrations of LG bodies, which has become quite chaotic given that there are many councils where no party has recorded a majority of the votes as well as over two score LG bodies where the combined Opposition holds an equal or higher number of seats to the ruling JVP/NPP, which has secured the highest individual number of seats in the relevant councils.
It is in such a backdrop that the Election Commission has declared the date of the maiden meetings of the LG bodies as 2 June.
The commission has officially informed the relevant political parties and independent groups that have secured over 50% of seats in LG bodies to nominate chairpersons/mayors in the coming days and that they will also be informed of the number of female representatives that should be appointed to each LG body.
The remaining councils will have to work on forming the relevant councils during the meetings on 2 June.
Forming administrations
The final results of many LG bodies have resulted in the question of who would form the administration of the LG body when no party has secured 50% of the votes.
According to the new legislation in place for the LG bodies, while a party or group must secure more than half the available seats, in the event no party achieves a majority within a body, the party with the highest number of seats cannot govern alone. In such an instance, the party with the highest number of seats must form a coalition or alliance with other parties or independent members to reach a majority.
If the leading party fails to build a coalition, other parties may form an alliance to gain control, even if none had individually won the most seats. This often occurs in areas with fragmented vote shares.
Therefore, parties which had not received the highest vote count in the respective LG body may still assume control through strategic alliances. During the first meeting of the council, parties and groups may agree to elect a mayor or a chairperson or to form a ruling coalition.
The mayor or chairperson can be elected through a vote in the respective LG body and if it is to be a secret ballot, the LG body has to vote to agree or disagree on holding a secret ballot as well.
JVP/NPP nitpicking
Amidst the ongoing chaos in discussions to form the councils/administrations of the LG bodies, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has said that the JVP/NPP has no intention of establishing majorities in any LG institutions through coalitions with parties that had been rejected by the public.
Speaking at a press conference soon after the LG Polls results were released last week, he emphasised that the JVP/NPP would only consider joining forces with candidates who had contested independently, if they were willing to cooperate.
“The NPP has managed to secure majority control in a large number of LG bodies. However, there are some institutions where, despite us having received the highest number of votes as a party, other parties collectively have more seats,” he said.
He added: “After the elections, if small parties which contested separately try to combine their results and claim a majority, we believe that it is neither realistic nor fair. No single party other than the NPP has been able to secure outright control of any LG body. Some parties have only managed to win one or two seats.”
Seeking NPP support
Meanwhile, the JVP/NPP says that political parties in the Northern Province have reached out to the party seeking support from the JVP/NPP to form councils since most of them had failed to secure a majority in the councils.
Minister Bimal Rathnayake noted that even parties that had secured a majority of the votes in LG bodies in the north had expressed willingness to work together with the JVP/NPP in the councils.
Sajith takes the lead
Meanwhile, Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, making a special statement on Wednesday (7), came to the forefront on behalf of the Opposition parties, stating that the SJB was prepared to take the lead in uniting all Opposition forces under a shared vision to fulfil the public call to restore a truthful and powerful public service, thereby defeating lies.
He also expressed gratitude to voters who stood with the SJB despite what he described as a politically hostile environment filled with “insults, threats, mudslinging, conspiracies, and challenges”.
“The time has come for all Opposition forces to come together. The people have given us a message – to unite, stand for the truth, and build a government that respects their voice,” he said.
Premadasa also pointed to a dramatic erosion of public support for the Government, which had received sweeping mandates at both the recent Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. “In just six months, public confidence (towards the Government) has plummeted. The people have spoken loud and clear; they want change and they want unity in the Opposition,” Premadasa noted.
Meanwhile, the SJB said that it would seek the support of other Opposition parties to elect the mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) as the Opposition holds a majority in the council.
However, it is evident that many key Opposition parties are facing internal crises that started following last year’s Presidential Election outcome, further compounded by the outcome of the last Parliamentary Elections.
Several senior Opposition politicians from the SJB and UNP have already made public statements on the divisions in Opposition parties and the resulting positive impact on the ruling party as well as the Government. The outcome of the LG Elections may now pave the way for the Opposition parties to find a path to unite at least in the LG bodies.
Tussle in CMC
Meanwhile, the formation of the CMC is fast becoming a battle of titans with the ruling JVP/NPP, which has secured the highest number of seats in the council despite its failure to secure a majority, clashing with the SJB, which has claimed it will form the administration of the council by forming a broad alliance.
The JVP/NPP’s victory at the CMC despite falling short of securing the majority needed to elect a mayor has been seen by some as a significant victory, where a Leftist party has won the council for the first time since 1954.
It was SJB MP Mujibur Rahman who first revealed that the NPP had secured 48 seats, while Opposition parties had collectively won 69 seats in the 117-member council prior to the official announcement of the results. “NPP 48, Opposition 69,” Rahman posted on Facebook.
The SJB claimed 29 seats, while the UNP secured 13. The remaining seats were distributed among several smaller parties, with the SLPP securing five seats, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) securing four seats, and the Sarvajana Balaya securing two seats.
The party that will form the administration will require 60 seats in the council.
The JVP/NPP claims that the party will appoint the mayor for the CMC, noting that the SJB cannot form the council’s administration, adding that the party’s mayoral candidate, Ruvaiz Haniffa, had failed to win his ward.
Meanwhile, former Colombo Municipal Councillor and incumbent Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala claimed in Parliament last week that 11 councillors elected to the CMC had already expressed support to the JVP/NPP to form the administration.
RW meets UNPers
The UNP meanwhile has stated that the party will support the SJB to form the CMC administration while also claiming that the party had expressed willingness to form an alliance with the SJB prior to the LG Elections and had even stated at the time that the UNP was also willing to support the formation of a coalition within LG bodies.
Soon after the LG Elections results were released, senior UNPers met with Party Leader, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe at his office on Flower Road, Colombo 7. The discussion had focused on the outcome of the election and the UNP’s next course of action. The fact that the UNP’s ‘elephant’ symbol had made a reappearance and managed to get several LG councillors elected was also discussed at the meeting.
It was decided at the meeting to discuss the formation of a coalition in LG bodies where the ruling JVP/NPP had failed to secure a majority. UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene and General Secretary Thalatha Atukorale were assigned the task of discussing with the SJB.
Following this meeting, Wijewardene noted that the party had been able to increase its vote base and had also become a decisive force in some local bodies.
Meanwhile, Atukorale also noted that the UNP was prepared to engage in a discussion to determine how to cooperate with other Opposition parties to form joint administrations in LG bodies where the Opposition enjoyed a majority.
“Our intention is to oust the ruling NPP from power as it has deceived the people continuously,” Atukorale added.
Dilith says no
Meanwhile, Sarvajana Balaya Leader Jayaweera says that his party will not be joining with any political party following the outcome of the LG Elections.
Jayaweera maintained that his party would not combine with any political party in the future since none of the political parties or movements at present had a clear vision for the betterment of Sri Lanka. He noted that parties that wanted to work for the betterment of the country could join the Sarvajana Balaya’s programme.
Jayaweera claimed that the Sarvajana Balaya would not be part of political contracts of any party and would not be sold for money.
He further noted that the JVP had taken over 50 years to obtain 3% of the votes while the Sarvajana Balaya had obtained 3% of the votes within a short span of seven months.
SLPP decisive force
The SLPP meanwhile was in a jubilant mood last week, with SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam noting that the party held the decisive vote in 50% of LG bodies. He maintained that the SLPP had managed to gain the votes that had been lost by the JVP/NPP.
The SLPP’s Politburo met last Friday to discuss the party’s next course of action and it was decided that the party should focus on building itself further from this point. The party has also decided not to be a destructive force in the LG bodies by obstructing those who form the councils from carrying out their work for the people in the area.
It was also decided by the SLPP to appoint former MP Johnston Fernando as the party’s National Convenor.
Chamara’s heroics
Meanwhile, Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, who is currently behind bars over an alleged bribery and corruption charge, claimed that putting him behind bars would not deter him from engaging in politics and that the independent group that had won the Haputale LG body had been fielded by him.
He further noted that he was also instrumental in getting the highest number of votes polled by the SLFP-led PA at the LG Elections. “I managed to get 45,000 votes for the SLFP-led PA while being behind bars. I would have increased the number to 70,000 if I was outside,” the MP noted.
Dasanayake, known for his outspoken nature, also told Parliament that the Government was currently spending around Rs. 2 million to transport him from the Badulla Prison to attend parliamentary sessions when the value of the cheque that was at the centre of his case was Rs. 1 million. “Another case should be filed against the Government for wasting Rs. 2 million for prison transport,” he claimed.
Poaching begins
The chaos in forming hundreds of councils where the winning party has failed to secure a majority has once again resulted in accusations of poaching newly-elected councillors by parties vying to secure a majority in the councils.
While accusations of poaching individuals through financial perks were earlier directed at the traditional mainstream parties like the UNP, SLPP, and others, this time around the ruling party is also being accused of trying to entice individuals to support the party in the LG bodies.
SJB MP S.M. Marikkar has claimed that there is an ongoing operation to poach SJBers elected to the CMC. “Now there are deals at play. After claiming they (the ruling party) were the only ones who were clean, millions are now being offered to get councillors to secure power. Look at how efforts are being made to join rogues to secure power,” Marikkar had claimed in Parliament, adding that there were questions on how millions were being offered to individuals for support.
Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara also claimed in Parliament that the Government was engaged in poaching independent members elected to LG bodies in order to secure a majority in many bodies where the JVP/NPP had failed to secure a majority or hold seats on par with the combined Opposition.
According to Jayasekara, he has received information that Rs. 2.5 million is on offer for a councillor in Panduwasnuwara while the going rate for a councillor in Colombo is around Rs. 20 million.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has noted that there are capable and community-focused individuals among independent groups and Opposition party candidates who were elected at the recent LG Elections.
He has said this in response to a question about councils where the JVP/NPP had emerged as the leading party but lacked an outright majority. Herath has added that discussions are ongoing to form alliances with such individuals in order to secure control.
Explaining the chaos
However, former Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has cited the ongoing chaotic situation with regard to the controversies in forming many councils as being a deliberate ploy by those who had moved the new laws pertaining to LG Elections.
“The current crisis surrounding LG Elections is not an accident. It is the direct result of reckless and constitutionally questionable legislative manoeuvres executed during the so-called ‘Yahapalana’ period.
“What was presented as a benign bill with just three clauses on women’s representation was, in an unprecedented move, hijacked during the committee stage and transformed into an entirely different law, with 132 new clauses, completely outside the scope of the original bill. This wasn’t legislative reform; it was legislative ambush,” he wrote in an article that was published in the media last week.
He has referred to the introduction of the new laws as a most outrageous episode in the country’s law-making history, stating that a bill that was never meant to overhaul the LG electoral system ended up doing just that, without any public consultation, without judicial review, and without constitutional propriety.
According to the former Minister, he had worked to insert a critical safeguard into the Constitution during the drafting of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution at the time, that committee stage amendments must remain within the original scope of the bill. “It was a small but necessary step to ensure that such a legislative ambush would never happen again.”
“If we’re serious about fixing the mess, then the solution is simple and honest: repeal this act. Start afresh with a proper, democratic, and consultative legislative process. Until then, we must live with the consequences of that misdeed,” Sabry has added.
RW in India
Amidst the ongoing discussions and debates over the outcome of the LG Elections, former President Wickremesinghe left for India last Thursday (8) on his fourth visit to the neighbouring country since he was voted out of office at last year’s Presidential Election.
Wickremesinghe is due to visit New Delhi and Bengaluru and is expected to hold meetings with several senior political figures in India.
He is expected to deliver the keynote address at a prestigious event organised by The Hindu newspaper to be held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah will serve as the Chief Guest at the two-day event, which will also be attended by leading figures from politics, business, academia, sports, and the arts.
Wickremesinghe’s participation in the forum is also seen as a continuation of his efforts to remain engaged in regional discourse and promote constructive engagement between Sri Lanka and its key partners in South Asia.
Jet fiasco
On the topic of foreign travel, President AKD returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday (6) in time to cast his vote at the LG Elections on a special jet provided by the Vietnamese Government.
The President flew to Colombo on an Embraer Legacy 600 jet, a medium-range executive transport jet. The jet travel by the President created quite a stir, especially on social media, with questions being posed on who had chartered the flight and paid for it, given the many austerity measures pushed by the ruling JVP/NPP.
The President’s return to Sri Lanka on a jet also resulted in a heated argument in Parliament last Thursday (8) when Opposition MP Harshana Rajakaruna questioned the Government as to who had borne the expenses for the private jet for AKD to return from Vietnam.
Rajakaruna had told Parliament that it was being circulated on social media that a company had borne the expenses for the flight and called on the Government to clarify the matter.
Responding to the question, Foreign Minister Herath had said that the Sri Lankan Government had not spent a cent for the jet and that all expenses had been borne by a Buddhist society in Vietnam since the President had been invited to attend the UN Vesak festival in Vietnam and deliver the keynote address on 6 May.
“We informed them that the President would not be able to come back for the election after the speech, so the organisers, a Buddhist society in Vietnam, arranged the jet,” Herath had said.
During AKD’s visit to Vietnam, four Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and one agreement were signed between Sri Lanka and Vietnam, in the presence of President AKD and President Luong Cuong.
The signing took place following bilateral discussions held at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Monday. Among the agreements signed was a bilateral pact on enhancing cooperation and mutual support in customs affairs between Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Additionally, an MOU between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka on cooperation in machinery and equipment manufacturing, an MOU between the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Agriculture of Sri Lanka on cooperation in agriculture, an MOU between the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) of Sri Lanka and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, and an MOU between the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board on trade promotion cooperation were signed.
Nalinda’s revelation
Meanwhile, Chief Government Whip, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa revealed in Parliament last week that former President Wickremesinghe had incurred expenses totalling Rs. 1.27 billion for 23 overseas visits between 2022 and 2024.
According to Jayatissa, Wickremesinghe had undertaken four foreign trips in 2022, 14 in 2023, and five more in 2024, while 63 State officials had participated in the overseas visits in 2022, a total of 252 State officials in 2023, and 111 State officials for the tours in 2024.
Jayatissa had further revealed that a total of Rs. 19.8 million had been spent on 19 of those overseas visits, in which Wickremesinghe had not attended but had been represented by State officials.
Sajith not a threat
Apart from last week’s LG Elections and its aftermath, several Opposition leaders including former President Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Premadasa faced ridicule by ruling party members for statements made by several senior members of their respective parties that they would become presidents by the end of the year.
The UNP’s Wajira Abeywardena claimed Wickremesinghe would become president yet again when the incumbent Government failed to address the economic sensitivities by the end of this year, while SJB senior Kabir Hashim claimed that Premadasa would become president by the end of the year without allowing Wickremesinghe to take over.
These statements resulted in several social media memes stating that the presidency would be on a rotation by the end of the year with Wickremesinghe being president for a month and Premadasa taking over the following month.
However, pro-Government and pro-Opposition individuals now claim that Premadasa will not be a threat to the Government since he has publicly stated that he is not prepared to take over the presidency prior to the next Presidential Election.
Speaking during a recent political interview, Premadasa, when asked if he was ready to take over the presidency if an opportunity arose for him to do so, had responded saying that he was not prepared to take over the presidency midway since he would only take the office of president through a public mandate.
This response by Premadasa has gathered critical comments by political analysts, who claim that the Opposition Leader is yet to fully comprehend the intricacies of political manoeuvring.
SJB TUs slam Sajith
Meanwhile, trade unions affiliated to the SJB have hit out at SJB Leader Premadasa for leaving the party’s May Day rally soon after delivering his speech, which eventually resulted in the rally coming to an early conclusion since the crowds started to walk away from the venue. This resulted in several party seniors being unable to address the SJB’s May Day rally.
Senior trade unionist Ananda Palitha, who is affiliated to the SJB trade unions, slammed Premadasa saying that he should not have attended the May Day rally if he was unable to stay for the whole event.
He claimed that no leader should prioritise other work when they had to attend the May Day rally since it was disrespectful to the trade unionists and the working masses. “We (the trade unions) would have carried out the May Day rally without any issue. We gave prominence to him (Premadasa) because he is Ranasinghe Premadasa’s son,” Palitha stated.
Palitha also claimed that despite claims that the SJB May Day rally was a failure, it was not so since the rally had full participation and that the only shortcoming was the party leadership leaving the venue early claiming he had other work.
Disciplinary action
Meanwhile, President AKD has vowed disciplinary action against members of his party for stopping buses and vans that had been on their way to attend the party’s May Day rally on the side of an expressway for the participants to have lunch.
A video of buses and vans with red flags and people clad in red consuming food and walking by the side of an expressway, posing a threat to the safety of everyone using the expressway at the time, went viral on social media, with people questioning the Police over its failure to take action while also questioning whether action had not been initiated since the wrongdoers were from the ruling party.
However, President AKD responded to these comments stating that disciplinary action should be taken against everyone who has violated the law, including the Police for failing to carry out their duties.
“When I saw the video, I checked with the party organisers who had brought buses from Matara, Hambantota, Monaragala, and several other areas. A party organiser is assigned to lead the people in each bus and I got down the full list.
“I also made calls to some of them to inquire whether they had stopped on the expressway. Some of them explained that when they arrived at the service area, the car park was already full and the buses had to therefore stop outside, in line to park inside. Nevertheless, what happened was wrong and disciplinary action should be taken, and the Police should also take action,” the President claimed, adding that the change promised by his party required action against his own party members when some wrong was committed.
Nalinda’s latest list
Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who has been publicising lists of names of members of former governments who have been accused of abusing power and misusing public funds, has released a new list. The latest list reveals that a total of 92 former LG representatives, including pradeshiya sabha and municipal council members, have obtained over Rs. 620 million as compensation for their residences destroyed during the ‘Aragalaya’ period.
Jayatissa made this revelation while addressing a public meeting held in Horana recently.
The residences of a number of politicians, including local councillors, provincial councillors, parliamentarians, and ministers – a majority of them from the then ruling party, the SLPP – were set ablaze during the ‘Aragalaya’ period in 2022.
Jayatissa has already presented to Parliament on 6 February the list of MPs who had received compensation for property damage caused to their houses due to arson on 9 May 2022 and according to that report, Rs. 1.22 billion had been provided as compensation to 43 former MPs and ministers.
Action against six
It is meanwhile learnt that six senior political figures who had previously held ministerial portfolios are expected to be arrested in the coming weeks following the conclusion of high-level investigations into serious allegations of corruption and other criminal misconduct. It is also learnt that the individuals under scrutiny include former ministers who had represented the Kurunegala, Kandy, Kalutara, Badulla, and Monaragala Districts.
According to Government sources, joint investigations led by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), Attorney General’s Department, and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have now reached a critical stage, and coordinated legal proceedings are reportedly being finalised with a view to initiating arrests and prosecutions in the near future.
It is in such a backdrop that former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was remanded once again last Wednesday (7) over a case filed by the CIABOC.
Tranche on hold
On the economic front, the Government is continuing to struggle with several complexities that involve the balancing of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme with Sri Lanka and working towards reaching a deal with the US on trade tariffs.
The ongoing discussion between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) over revising electricity prices in line with the costs incurred by the CEB and the delay in working out the cost-reflective electricity tariffs has placed the disbursement of the fifth tranche of the IMF under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) in limbo.
At crossroads
Meanwhile, former Chief of Staff to former President Wickremesinghe, Sagala Ratnayaka, who had played a key role in the former Government’s discussions with the IMF, says that the JVP/NPP Government is at a crossroads as it faces mounting pressure to raise electricity tariffs to secure the next tranche of funding from the IMF.
Ratnayaka has stated that Sri Lanka risks delaying the fifth disbursement under the EFF after breaching a key condition of the agreement by reducing power tariffs earlier this year. “The Government lowered electricity rates in February, which directly contravenes the commitments made under the EFF. This has created a serious stumbling block in ongoing discussions with the IMF,” he noted.
Expenditure conundrum
President AKD meanwhile has also stated during a political interview recently that Sri Lanka expects to spend Rs. 330 billion for hiking State sector salaries in the next 20 months as allowances and that other payments will be determined based on the basic salary expected in January 2027.
AKD has said that the Government has forecast the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to exceed Rs. 30 trillion by the end of the year.
Therefore, he has noted that based on that projection it had been calculated that Rs. 110 billion could be allocated from Government revenue to fund salary increments of the State sector annually.
“This is something better than we expected earlier. By 2027, we expect to bear Rs. 330 billion for salary increments,” the President has added.