Opposition councillors allege the Horana Municipal Council budget was rushed through by altering the chamber clock, triggering a police complaint and threats of legal action.
Opposition members of the Horana Municipal Council have filed a formal complaint with the Horana Police, alleging that an unlawful procedure was used to pass the council’s budget by manipulating the official time inside the council chamber.
According to the complaint, the budget meeting was scheduled to commence at 10.00 am. However, opposition councillors claim that ruling party members arrived early, altered the clock inside the chamber to show 10.05 am, and proceeded to present and pass the budget before opposition members reached the hall.
The council currently has six members from the ruling National People’s Party and seven from the opposition. Opposition members allege that the second reading of the budget was conducted at 9.55 am, five minutes before the officially scheduled time, without any opposition representation and with only ruling party councillors present.
They have condemned what they describe as a deliberate and deceptive act that undermines democratic process, transparency, and local government accountability. Opposition members say they intend to pursue legal remedies in addition to the police complaint.
According to the allegations, the meeting chaired by Anil Indika Premasiri began well ahead of the scheduled time, enabling the ruling party to complete budget proceedings before opposition councillors arrived at the chamber.
The opposition maintains that the proceedings violated established council procedures and democratic norms, arguing that budget approval without full participation compromises public trust and institutional integrity.
They insist that passing a municipal budget through time manipulation sets a dangerous precedent for local governance and have called for a proper investigation into the incident, accountability for those responsible, and safeguards to prevent similar actions in future council sittings.
