The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which won the majority of Local Government (LG) bodies at the recent LG elections, is now dealing with a fresh crisis as the party has failed to secure a working majority in nearly 160 LG bodies.
Informed political sources told the Sunday Observer that at least 160 of the 340 LGA’s have run into uncertainly as no party or independent group has secured a majority of seats.
Although the Sri Lanka Podujana Permuna has managed to ‘officially’ win these Local Government bodies, the party is not in a position to continue their administration without a clear majority.
Therefore, the Sri Laka Podujana Peramuna, supported by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family, is likely run into a serious crisis when appointing heads to these Local Government bodies.
“In most of these Local Government bodies, opposition parties are in a position to challenge the appointment of Mayors.
This clearly shows the fact that the Sri Lanka Podujana Permuna does not have a clear majority, although its boasts of a ‘landslide’ election victory,” a top political source told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Clause 66D of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, outlines the procedure for the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor at the first meeting or other meeting of a local authority.
It says, “(1) The first meeting and any other meeting that may be convened under section 66C until the election of a Mayor, shall be presided over by the Commissioner of Local Government. (in this section referred to as the ‘presiding officer’).
(2) The members of the Council shall at its first meeting, elect one of their members to be the Mayor of the Council.
(3) The election of the Mayor of the Council under subsection (2) shall not take place, unless there is present at such meeting a quorum consisting of not less than half the membership of the Council.
(4) Any member of the Council may, with his consent, be proposed and seconded for election as Mayor by any other member present at the meeting.
(5) Where only one member’s name is proposed and seconded for election as Mayor, the presiding officer of the meeting at which the election takes place, shall declare that member elected as the Mayor.
(6) Where two or more member’s names are proposed and seconded for election as Mayor, the mode of election shall be by open voting, and the presiding officer shall take the votes by calling the name of each member present and asking him how he desires to vote and recording the votes accordingly. A member may decline to vote and in such a case, the presiding officer shall record the fact of such member declining to vote.
(7) At the end of the proceedings for the election of a Mayor, the presiding officer shall declare the result of the voting.” Meanwhile, the UPFA has already prohibited its members from working with other political parties on electing heads of Local Government bodies. The UPFA said the party had still not made any decision on working with other political parties to secure power in hung LG bodies.