Sri Lanka went to the polls today, May 6, 2025, to elect members to its Local Government (LG) bodies Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas. These grassroots institutions are responsible for critical everyday services like garbage collection, park maintenance, and road repairs.
The vote was held under Sri Lanka’s Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system, first introduced in 2017 and used for the second time in LG elections since 2018. Under this system, voters cast their ballots for a party or independent group within their local ward, and seats are then allocated both by direct election and proportional representation, making the outcome a carefully calculated balance of numbers.
But what happens when the numbers don’t yield a clear winner?
To take control of a local council, a political party or independent group must secure more than half of the total seats. If no party manages to win an outright majority, the party with the most seats still can’t govern on its own.
In these situations, the only path to power is through coalition-building. The leading party must seek agreements with smaller parties or independent candidates to form a ruling alliance that reaches the 50% threshold. Failing that, other parties even those with fewer seats can band together and outnumber the top vote-getter, forming a surprise coalition government.
This dynamic opens the door for political maneuvering and backroom negotiations. Positions like Mayor or Chairman are then decided during the council’s inaugural meeting, where alliances are solidified and leadership is determined through internal votes.
Take the Tangalle Urban Council as a real-time example: while the National People’s Power (NPP) secured 9 seats, opposition parties and independent groups together won 11. Without a coalition, NPP can’t claim leadership. But if they align with just a few of those 11, they could still lead the council.
The Election Commission clarifies: if any party wins more than 50% of the seats, their leader automatically has the right to appoint the Mayor or Chairman. But if no majority is reached, that power shifts to the collective decision of the new council, decided at its very first meeting.
