It is an undeniable fact that the main electoral battle in a local government election in Sri Lanka is for the Colombo Municipal Council.
Even members of parliament have been contesting for the Colombo Municipal Council since the past due to its special importance.
In addition, it is not uncommon for those who have been elected as the mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council to become members of parliament. In the Colombo Municipal Council election, which was a UNP stronghold, the National People’s Power was able to win the most seats.
Does the National People’s Power have much power in the Colombo Municipal Council?
The Colombo Municipal Council has a total of 117 councillor seats. Out of these, 60 seats need to be won to gain power in the council.
However, in this election, the National People’s Power only won 48 seats.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya has won 29 seats, while the United National Party has secured 13 seats.
In addition, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has won 05 seats, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has won 04 seats, Independent Group No. 03 has secured 03 seats, and the All People’s Power Party has won 02 seats, while Independent Groups No. 04 and No. 05 have won 02 seats each.
Moreover, the National Freedom Front, the Podujana Peramuna, the Democratic National Alliance, the National People’s Front, the United Republic Front, as well as other Independent Groups, have won 01 or 02 seats each.
Thus, the total number of seats held by the opposition is higher when compared to the number of seats held by the National People’s Power.
Who is the Colombo Mayoral race between?
In the history of the Colombo Municipal Council, the United National Party has been in power for the longest period.
The National People’s Power, the single party with the most seats, has named the mayoral candidate this time, Vrayee Kelly Balthasar.
Meanwhile, the mayoral candidate of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Dr. Ruwais Hanifa, has lost his seat due to his defeat in his Borella South constituency.
However, Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Mujibur Rahman has said that steps will be taken to appoint a Samagi Jana Balawegaya candidate to the post of mayor after discussions with other parties.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala has stated that they will “definitely establish power in the Colombo Municipal Council.”
Accordingly, who will be the mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council? It is not yet certain.
Why is Colombo important?
Statistics show that the annual budget of the Colombo Municipal Council is Rs. 17 billion. More than 500,000 people live within the Colombo Municipal Council limits and another 500,000 people commute to Colombo from various areas daily.
Accordingly, providing necessary services to more than a million people is a major responsibility of the Colombo Municipal Council, Colombo Municipal Commissioner Bhadrani Jayawardena has stated. Colombo is a chartered city with a mayor and council system of government.
The Mayor of Colombo and the councillors are elected in local government elections held every four years. The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is the largest local government body in Sri Lanka and one of the oldest in South Asia.
Established in 1865, it has grown into a large organisation catering to the needs of a resident population of 647,100 and an estimated floating population of 500,000, according to the 2001 census.
When the Municipal Council was first established, its population was only 80,000. The income of the Colombo Municipal Council in its first year was £6,429. When Ceylon changed its currency from the pound sterling to the rupee in 1872, the income of the Council was recorded at Rs. 296,494.
In 1866, the main sources of income of the Council were the assessment tax, taxes on vehicles and animals, travel taxes, street tolls, tolls on bridges and canals, licenses for butchers, transporters, wine and grocers, and the issuance of gun licenses. The revenue also included stamp duty on certificates of lawyers and notaries, market and slaughterhouse fees, police fines, and municipal magistrates’ fines, along with various receipt fees.
The Colombo Municipal Council, which currently consists of 16 departments, is mainly responsible for providing services such as public health and disease prevention, fire services, solid waste management, road maintenance, land and environmental development, street lighting, water and sanitation, and veterinary services. In addition, there are departments for social services, sports and recreation, finance, fees, secretarial work, training, and library services.
The Colombo Municipal Council was established in 1865, and the Colombo Municipal Commissioner was also given special powers.
The Colombo Municipal Council is the health authority of the city. The power to acquire land has also been given to the Municipal Commissioner.
A UNP stronghold!
The UNP has been in control of the Colombo Municipal Council for the longest period in its history.
The city has been ruled by the United National Party (UNP) for the past 50 years. It is believed that their business-friendly policies may have been the reason for this. However, during the reign of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) made a strong effort to gain control of the Colombo Municipal Council.
In 2006, the UNP’s nomination for the Colombo Municipal Council was rejected, and the UNP supported an independent group that contested under the eyeglass symbol. The independent group that contested under the eyeglass symbol, which received the support of the UNP, won the Colombo Municipal Council, but the United People’s Freedom Alliance led by Mahinda Rajapaksa was unable to win the Colombo Municipal Council that year.
The UNP won the Colombo Municipal Council in the local government elections that followed.
Rosy Senanayake, who was elected Mayor of the UNP, is the first female mayor to be elected to the Colombo Municipal Council.
A luxurious official house
The post of Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council includes many privileges, including salary, allowances, official vehicles, and more.
The Mayor is also provided with an official house by the Municipal Council. The Colombo Mayor’s official residence is located on an acre of land on Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 07.
A senior official of the Colombo Municipal Council has said that the current value of this public property is in the billions of rupees.
It includes bedrooms, meeting rooms, gardens, as well as a number of other staff members.
9,000 employees
The Colombo Municipal Council has 9,000 employees.
The Colombo Municipal Commissioner has stated that this includes 110 engineers, 100 doctors, 38 accountants, and administrative service officers.
The Municipal Council also has maternity homes and clinics. All services such as the provision of Thriposha in the city are operated at the expense of the Colombo Municipal Council.
The Colombo Municipal Council is the only local government institution that has a separate Charity Commissioner.
The Colombo Municipal Council also runs pre-schools and vocational training schools.
The Colombo Municipal Council also owns all the stadiums and markets in the city.
Accordingly, the responsibility for the proper management of all these properties and assets will be transferred to the next Mayor of Colombo.
