The Election Commission (EC) has announced that the terms of 161 out of 339 local government bodies to which elections were held on 06 May, across the country, will commence today (02) while the remaining 178 councils are in, what political analysts describe, as a state of administrative limbo. Elections were not held to two local government institutions on 06 May—the Kalmunai Urban Council due to a court case and the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), which was elected last year.
Elections were held to 28 Municipal Councils, 36 Urban Councils and 275 Pradeshiya Sabhas. There were 49 political parties and 257 independent groups in the fray, and the number of candidates was 75,589.
A Gazette notification issued by the Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Rathnayake, has announced the names of the newly elected members of 161 local authorities where the winners have obtained either 50% or more seats.
The remaining 178 local government bodies remain hung, with the ruling NPP and the SJB striving to muster majorities.
Under the provisions of a Gazette notification issued by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government on February 17, the new terms of local bodies were scheduled to begin on June 2, 2025.
Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Ratnayake, yesterday told the media that these 161 local bodies had now been fully constituted and ready to begin governance duties.
Meanwhile, the remaining 178 will remain non-functional pending the election of their heads by their councillors.
The NPP secured a commanding victory in 2025 Local Government Elections, winning 3,927 local government seats with a total of 4,503,930 votes. The NPP won a total of 266 Local Government Institutions.
by Saman Indrajith and Norman Palihawadane 