The country’s democracy will face a decisive test on May 6, as over 17 million voters head to the polls in a landmark Local Government election — one that could redraw the political map at grassroots level and solidify the ruling National People’s Power (NPP)’s grip on local governance.
With 336 Councils up for grabs and rising political tensions, this high-stakes contest will shape how communities are governed and which parties hold sway from town halls to Village Councils.
As the countdown to May 6 begins, the question remains: Will Sri Lanka’s local vote mark the rise of a new political era—or reinforce the old guard’s hold on power?
Nearly 2,900 groups are in the fray for Local Government positions, with around 2,260 backed by political parties. However, 425 nominations have been rejected, the Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake said. Among the rejected nominations for the upcoming Local Government Elections was that of a German woman who had planned to contest in the Matale District.
The rejections were made by the Nomination Board under Section 28 of the Act. The Nominations that failed to meet the legal requirements are disqualified, and the affected groups will be informed in writing, with reasons for the rejection provided, he said.
The Kandy District reported the highest number of nominations for the upcoming LG polls. According to Kandy District Returning Officer and District Secretary Indika Udawatta, 230 groups submitted deposits in the district, while 210 political parties and independent groups filed nominations. However, 58 nominations were rejected, making it one of the highest in the rejection list.
Several political parties in Jaffna are seeking court action after their nominations for the 2025 Local Government Elections were rejected. Among those affected are the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, and some independent groups. The rejections were due to issues such as missing signatures and incomplete forms, said Election Commission sources.
The Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) reported that many nomination lists for the 2025 Local Government Elections were rejected due to complications with new requirements for female and youth representation, as well as missing supporting documents. Under the amendments to the Local Government Elections Act No. 17 of 2017, nomination lists must include 25 percent youth representation and 50 percent female candidates. Many political parties and independent groups failed to meet these criteria or submit the necessary documents, like certified birth certificates for youth candidates.
Blend of direct and proportional representation
The elections will continue to follow the mixed-member Proportional Representation system, ensuring a blend of direct and proportional representation for local governance. 17,296,330 Sri Lankans will be eligible to vote in the upcoming Local Government election, according to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.
Voters will elect members to 27 Municipal Councils, 36 Urban Councils, and 274 Pradeshiya Sabhas.
Polling will take place from 7 am to 4 pm. Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of key cultural and national observances during the election period, urging candidates and their supporters to refrain from using May Day, the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, or other days of religious and national significance for political campaigning.
Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi, said candidates are likely to spend around Rs. 20 per voter during their campaigns. He emphasized the need for financial transparency, adding that all candidates must submit detailed expenditure reports within three weeks after the polls.
According to the Election Commissioner General, 75,000 new voters have been added to the Local Government voter register for this Local Government (LG) election. This marks a significant increase in the electorate compared to the previous Presidential election, which had 17.14 million eligible voters.
The last Local Government election, held in 2018 had 15.7 million eligible voters electing 8,327 members across 340 local authorities. These included 24 Municipal Councils, 41 |Urban Councils, and 275 Divisional Councils.
This election was historic, being the largest in Sri Lanka’s history, as well as the first conducted under the mixed electoral system. Under this system, 60 percent of the members were selected through the first-past-the-post voting, while the remaining 40 percent were elected through closed-list proportional representation. For the NPP, this election is pivotal, particularly in terms of decentralising power. A strong Local Government can play a vital role in devolving powers from the Central Government, thereby strengthening democratic accountability and promoting regional development. With a degree of autonomy, Local Governments in Sri Lanka have the capacity to shape policies that directly affect the communities they serve. This election, therefore, presents an opportunity for local authorities to assert their political presence and make a tangible impact on regional issues.
Another key aspect of the election is the continued push for gender equality and minority representation in local governance. As part of the 2018 electoral reforms, a gender quota system was introduced to ensure greater participation of women in local councils. This system mandates that a certain percentage of candidates on party lists be women, aiming to address the historical underrepresentation of women in local politics.
Local elections tend to be less polarised than national elections, allowing local issues to take precedence over national party politics. This could promote greater stability in local governance, even as national politics remains in flux.
Political analysts said that the public may be inclined to grant the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) control over local governance in the upcoming Local Government Election on May 6.
NPP Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala said the party has presented a diverse candidate list representing Muslim, Tamil, and Sinhalese communities, with the goal of ensuring unity and inclusivity across the island.
“We’ve prepared a comprehensive program to meet people’s needs using Central Government and Council resources,” he said, adding that the party’s “Compass” symbol represents collective leadership over personality politics.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, also submitted nominations in multiple districts including Colombo, Kalutara, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, and Ratnapura. However, the party is yet to announce its Colombo Municipal Council candidate.
SJB MPs S.M. Marikkar and Harshana Rajakaruna downplayed NPP’s chances, saying that the party will soon face the “ground reality” of voter sentiment.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) submitted nominations across several districts, with General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam casting doubt on the NPP’s electoral appeal.
No significant new political alliances
Despite expectations, no significant new political alliances or regional blocs have emerged. The anticipated convergence between factions of the UNP and SJB has not materialised. Political observers note this could play in favour of stronger parties like the NPP, while minor parties struggle to gain traction.
The nomination process for the LG election closed last Thursday at 12 noon, following its commencement on March 17. Nominations were accepted at 25 District Secretariats across the country. This year’s election will be held for 336 Local Government bodies.
However, many nominations from major political parties have been rejected. The last election for these Local Government bodies was held seven years ago, on February 18, 2018. For this year’s poll, the Election Commission received over 3,100 deposit submissions between March 3 and March 19.
The National People’s Power (NPP) has submitted nominations for a range of Districts, including Colombo, Gampaha, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Wanni, and others. However, several nominations, particularly from Medawachchiya and Bandarawela, were rejected. NPP MP and Minister Wijitha Herath, speaking after the submission of nominations, emphasized that the changes they have implemented at national level will be brought to local communities if the people vote for them in the Local Government election. He also expressed confidence that the party’s support, which had grown during their time in administration, would continue to strengthen.
The Jathika Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, submitted nominations for the districts including Colombo, Kalutara, Puttalam, Badulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, and Ratnapura. SJB leaders, including Party General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, submitted their nominations on March 20. However, the party has yet to announce their candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council. Madduma Bandara said.
When questioned about the NPP’s stance that they aim to propel the country forward, SJB MP S.M. Marikkar responded humorously, suggesting that if the NPP sought more power, perhaps they should take control over local cooperatives, bereavement societies (Maranadhara Samithi), and youth and women’s groups.
SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said that the NPP would soon experience the “ground reality” of public sentiment as the results of the LG election unfold. He said that the NPP’s overconfidence would be tested when the election results revealed how people truly perceive their leadership.
Former Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and United National Party (UNP) MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, who joined the SJB in 2024,said that several former SLFP members have been included in the SJB’s list of candidates for the Local Government election.
While other political parties focus on showcasing a single leader as their main strategy for the upcoming Local Government elections, the National People’s Power (NPP) candidates for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) have a different approach. They made it clear last Thursday that their campaign was not built around one individual leader, but rather a collective leadership model. The NPP candidates, numbering 113, emphasized that each one of them is a leader in their own right. They said that their strength lies in the diverse and capable team which includes 59 members of Parliament representing the NPP, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
One NPP candidate for the CMC said that they had a “strong and capable team” and a robust leadership structure, which they refer to as the ‘Compass’. This collective leadership, they say, will empower the people and ensure that the Colombo Municipal Council will not be an exception when it comes to establishing the people’s power at Local Government level.
In a departure from the traditional model where individual leaders often dominate the narrative, the NPP is positioning itself as a party built on the strength of its team, aiming to bring a new approach to governance at the local level.
High-stakes contest
As the election approaches, the stage is set for a high-stakes contest where local governance could shape the future political landscape. With multiple parties vying for influence, the results will not only reflect the people’s choice but also signal the direction of political power at the grassroots level.
The UNP handed over nominations for Districts including Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Matale. UNP National Organiser Sagala Ratnayake said that they would announce their candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council at the appropriate time. Respoding to a journalist’s query about the possibility of former Colombo Mayor Rosi Senanayake being nominated, Ratnayake said that the party had not selected her as a candidate for the Council.
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) also submitted nominations for the Colombo District, with the party’s General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam overseeing the process. In addition to Colombo, SLPP filed nominations in Districts such as Puttalam, Hambantota, Galle, Ratnapura and Wanni. Kariyawasam expressed scepticism about the NPP’s chances in the election, adding that while the NPP might gain votes from those who still believe in their ‘tales’, the majority of voters, in his opinion, would not fall for such rhetoric. Kariyawasam also said that the SLPP had decided not to announce any candidates for Mayor or Chairperson until after the election results are confirmed, signalling that these decisions would be made following a victory.
Leader of the Jana Satha Peramuna Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera submitted nominations as well. When asked why his party seems to struggle with public support during elections, Seelarathana Thera attributed it to his refusal to engage in the distribution of alcohol, heroin, cannabis, or ice, unlike some other political figures. In addition to the major parties, several recognised political groups have also submitted their nominations.
These include the Tamil National Alliance, United Republican Front, Jana Aragala Coalition, Sarva Jana Balaya, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, and Jana Sathu Peramuna. Numerous independent groups have also joined the race, further intensifying competition across the country.
