Over 72,000 candidates vie for 339 Councils :
70,000 Police officers on duty:
All arrangements have been finalised to hold the long-awaited Local Government (LG) Elections on May 6, marking a significant return to grassroots democracy after a seven-year hiatus.
All campaign-related activities, including public meetings and speeches, came to an end at midnight yesterday (Saturday), in keeping with the election silence period mandated by the Election Commission (EC).
Over 70,000 police personnel have been deployed across the country to ensure a safe, fair, and orderly voting process, Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Ratnayake said that over 72,000 candidates are contesting the poll and added that nominations have been submitted in accordance with the 25 percent quota for women’s representation.
Some lists that did not meet this requirement were rejected.He said that although elections were originally scheduled for 4,917 electoral divisions, they will now be held in 4,877, due to the administrative changes and the exclusion of several local authorities – such as the Kalmunai Municipal Council and the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha – on legal and procedural grounds.
The elections will fill positions across 339 local authorities, comprising 28 Municipal Councils (including Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna), 36 Urban Councils, and 275 Pradeshiya Sabhas.
According to EC sources, 17,296,330 citizens are eligible to vote on May 6, including over 155,000 first-time voters who have come of voting age (18) since the last local elections in 2018.
Major political parties in the fray include the ruling party the National People’s Power (NPP), the Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), and the United National Party (UNP), among others. Several Independent candidates are also contesting, reflecting a diverse political landscape.
In the lead-up to the polls, police arrested 33 candidates on charges related to election law violations between March 3 and April 30. Over 348 political supporters were also detained for questioning over offences including unauthorised distribution of campaign materials, illegal posters and banners, and protests outside police stations calling for the release of arrested persons.
The sources said that of the 3,828 complaints received regarding the Local Government elections, 3,206 have been resolved. Investigations are under way regarding 622 complaints. These complaints were received between March 20 and April 30, 2025. Twenty-four complaints regarding election violence and 241 other complaints have also been received.
When asked whether the arrested candidates would still be eligible to contest, Ratnayake said they would be able to, as the cases had been resolved.
Ratnayake said that all Government and private sector institutions should grant paid leave to their employees (half-day, full-day or two days depending on the distance to their homes) to cast the vote.
The EC has made extensive preparations to ensure a transparent and efficient electoral process. Enhanced security measures have been implemented at all District Secretariats and EC offices to manage nominations and uphold law and order.
This year’s elections will be held under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) system, which combines the First-Past-the-Post (PFP) and Proportional Representation (PR). Sixty percent of the local Councillors are elected through direct ward-level contests, while the remaining 40 percent are chosen from party lists based on the proportion of votes received under this hybrid model.
Political analysts and democracy advocates said that the 2025 LG Elections are a critical moment in the country’s political calendar – reviving grassroots representation and offering a test of public sentiment ahead of future Provincial and National elections. The first results are expected around midnight on May 6.
