Political analysts are pointing to an intensifying “second wave” of the National People’s Power (NPP) government’s grassroots power erosion, following the record defeat of budget proposals in two local councils under its control. The latest local council to see its budget defeated is the Soranathota Pradeshiya Sabha, where the budget was rejected by a margin of three votes.
In the Soranathota Pradeshiya Sabha, the opposition holds 10 council seats while the NPP has 5. During the vote, 8 opposition councillors voted against the budget. Four NPP councillors and the chairman voted in favour, but the absence of three opposition councillors was not enough to prevent the budget’s defeat. This outcome signals a significant political shift, especially given that the NPP had previously secured control of the council when two opposition members voted in favour of the NPP candidate during the chairman’s election.
Meanwhile, the first reading of the inaugural budget for 2024 in the Kolonna Pradeshiya Sabha, also under NPP control, was defeated yesterday (06), further solidifying this trend of power erosion. In the Kolonna council, opposition groups collectively hold 10 out of 19 seats, yet the NPP had won the chairmanship through a secret ballot. However, in yesterday’s budget vote, opposition groups leveraged their majority to defeat the budget.
These two local council budget defeats provide a clear signal that the second wave of the NPP’s grassroots power erosion has begun, following the initial wave of defeats in cooperative elections. Analysts suggest that these budget rejections raise serious questions about the NPP’s political power and governing capabilities for the coming year.
