The National People’s Power (NPP) government is reeling from a massive political setback as the budgets of the Uvaparanagama and Padiyathalawa Pradeshiya Sabhas (Local Councils), both controlled by the NPP, were defeated today (14th), bringing the total number of NPP-controlled local council budgets to fail to 55. This string of defeats is being heralded as the most significant political shift, highlighting the NPP’s faltering governance capabilities and the weakening of the central government’s authority nationwide, driven by growing solidarity among opposition councilors.
The recent failures follow the defeat of budgets in Soranathota, Kolonna, Dodangoda, and Naula councils in the past few days. The escalating count of 57 defeats is a clear indicator of the potent grassroots opposition to both the ruling party and its main alternative.
Opposition Unites in Uvaparanagama and Padiyathalawa
A notable feature of today’s defeats was the coordinated voting by all opposition parties in both councils:
1. Uvaparanagama Pradeshiya Sabha
- The budget was presented by Chairman Dinadasa Ratnayake.
- All 20 NPP councilors voted in favour of the budget.
- However, the budget was defeated when all opposition parties—the United National Party (UNP), Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Sarvajana Balawegaya, and the Frontline Socialist Party—voted together against it.
2. Padiyathalawa Pradeshiya Sabha
- Chairman Anuradha Rajapaksa presented the budget.
- The budget was defeated with 8 votes in favour and 12 against.
- Though the NPP initially formed the council through a coalition, securing power with a 13-07 majority after the last election, today’s open vote saw councilors from the SJB, SLPP, Sarvajana Balawegaya, and the UNP collectively vote against the budget. This demonstrates the fragility of the NPP’s grassroots coalition governance.
Harin Fernando’s Influence Noted
These defeats occurred just after former Badulla District MP Harin Fernando officially assumed the position of Deputy General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP) on Monday, focusing heavily on building a common opposition front against the current government. Political analysts view the unified opposition vote in the local councils as a practical outcome of Mr. Fernando’s publicly stated need for opposition unity.
This continuous stream of budget rejections sends an unambiguous signal that public confidence in the NPP’s capacity to govern and its ability to resolve the country’s financial crisis is rapidly eroding.
