The date of the forthcoming Local Government (LG) election will be set after the conclusion of the nominations on March 20, National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said. Rathnayake said that nominations for 336 LG bodies have been called for and will be accepted during office hours from March 17 until noon on March 20.
Following recent legislative amendments in Parliament, the NEC has been granted authority to call for new nominations and set a date for the election.
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said, “We believe that once the nominations have been finalised, the NEC will consider all practical aspects and announce the election date.” Most political analysts believe that the election date will be likely before the Vesak festival.
Political parties were also busy preparing for the elections, although many Opposition parties tried to get the nominations period postponed citing a scheduling clash with the Budget Debate in Parliament.
However, the NEC and the Government said that the polls should not be postponed any longer.
Several parties, including the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) were busy finalising their candidates’ lists for the top posts in the leading Municipal Councils and Urban Councils. It was announced at an International Women’s Day event in Colombo that Vraie Balthazar would be the NPP candidate for the Mayor of Colombo.
After nearly five years, the country is preparing for an LG poll, following at least 30 attempts by the previous Government to delay or prevent it. The NEC spent Rs. 131 million on election-related activities during this time. The estimated cost of holding the LG polls in 2023 was Rs. 9,326 million.
As a result of the failure to conduct the elections on time, the administration of 336 LG institutions – except for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha in the Galle District to which elections were held – is now under the control of special commissioners instead of elected representatives.
Hettiarachchi said, “This election was originally scheduled for March 2022, however, the subject Minister postponed it for a year. Subsequently, the NEC took all steps to hold the election in March 2023, but the then authorities made significant efforts to prevent and delay the election.”
Security deposits for political party and independent candidates contesting the election have been accepted since last Monday. The deposits will be accepted until 12.00 noon on March 19, excluding March 13 (Poya Day) and the weekends, Rathnayake said.
The first round of deposits for the 2025 Local Government Elections was made in the Matale District on Thursday by a group of candidates contesting independently for the Matale Pradeshiya Sabha, the District election office said.
Notices regarding the acceptance of nominations for electing Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons, Deputy Chairpersons, and Members for the LG bodies have already been published.
NEC sources said that the Kalmunai Municipal Council, Dehiattakandiya Pradeshiya Sabha (Ampara District), Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha (Mannar District), Punakari Pradeshiya Sabha (Kilinochchi District), and Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha (Galle District) could be excluded from this election due to legal reasons.
In April last year, nominations were called to elect 6,711 Members for 340 LG bodies, with 8,672 candidates submitting nominations. Among them, approximately 3,000 were public servants.
