By Vishvanath
The JVP-led NPP declared victory in the struggle for dominance in the Colombo Municipal Council prematurely, the other day, but the battle is far from over. The NPP has won over some Independent councilors, but the SJB and other Opposition parties have not given up the fight; they say they are confident that they can muster a working majority together and it is only a matter of time.
The NPP and the SJB continue to fight with do-or-die fanaticism, trading as they do allegations, in many other local government areas as well. The former has accused the latter of employing unethical practices such as bribing councilors, and the latter alleges that the former has stooped so low as to issue liquor manufacturing licenses to raise funds for inducing defections. Both sides have demonstrated their readiness to do all it takes to achieve their goals.
All is said to be fair in love and war. Similarly, ethical behavior and fair play do not apply to politics, especially power struggles, as well. What matters most in politics is power, which takes precedence over everything else. Political leaders and parties lay bare their true faces when they are desperate either to capture or retain power; their scruples and principles fall by the wayside. How the government and the Opposition are behaving at present is a case in point.
The election manifestos of the NPP and the SJB resemble theses on normative ethics, and the leaders of these two parties have a propensity for moralizing in public. Their rhetoric smacks of tubthumping. But the manner in which they are striving to seize control of the non-majority local councils, numbering about 125, run counter to their moral grandstanding.
Both the JVP-led NPP and the SJB vowed, in the run-up to the 06 May local government (LG) polls, that they would never forge alliances with others to contest elections. The NPP branded all its political rivals, including independent groups in the fray, as corrupt political entities seeking power to further self-interest. Having lumped them together, it declared that the public had a choice between its candidates and a bunch of rogues fielded by its opponents and under no circumstance would it ever join forces with them. But the outcome of the GL elections has upended its position; it has since been in overdrive to win over the councilors of the opposition parties or independent groups. The SJB has acted likewise, making a mockery of its much-advertised principles. Both sides are now practicing exactly the opposite of what they promised.
The ruling party usually has a better chance of engineering crossovers than the Opposition, given the fact that it has the wherewithal and political clout to sway those who are straddling the fence. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reiterated that the local councils to be controlled by those other than the NPP will face fund restrictions. However, the NPP’s tactics have not yielded the desired results in some areas.
The SJB says it has secured the control of the Matugama Pradeshiya Sabha by winning over the Independent candidates, who announced their decision to back the SJB, at a recent media briefing. The allocation of seats among political parties and the Independent group is as follows:
NPP – 13
SJB – 10
Independent Group – 04
SLPP – 03
UNP – 01
NFF – 01
People’s Struggle Alliance – 01
There are 33 seats in the Matugama PS, and a working majority is 17, but since the SLPP, the UNP and the NFF (led by Wimal Weerawansa) have teamed up against the NPP, the SJB, with 14 members on its side, will be able to secure the chairmanship of the council. The NPP looks checkmated, but it cannot be expected to concede defeat without a fight in a council which it has technically won. The NPP’s LG polls campaign in Mathugama was led by Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, who is very close to President Dissanayake.
The Colombo Municipal Council, however, is a different kettle of fish, with more Independent councilors holding the balance of power. The NPP will do all it takes to secure control of it, given its importance and symbolic significance. Nine representatives from Independent groups have pledged their support to the NPP in the CMC. They announced their decision on May 19 in Colombo, after a meeting with the NPP leadership.
The NPP won 48 out of 117 seats in the CMC, and the SJB 29 seats. The UNP won 13 seats. The SLPP secured 05 seats, the Muslim Congress 04 seats, Independent Group No. 3 03 seats, and the Sarvajana Balaya 02 seats. Thus, it will not be a walk in the park for either the NPP or the SJB to secure control of the CMC.
Group dynamics in local councils are known to become volatile, leading to disagreements and even intraparty power struggles. Political party leaders find it extremely difficult to reconcile the warring factions. There have been instances where the councilors of the SLPP, the UPFA and the JVP even joined forces to defeat council budgets. However, according to the existing laws governing LG institutions, a local administration can continue to hold power even if it fails to secure the passage of its first budget. In other words, a political party that forms a minority administration in a hung council can remain in power at least for two years.
Thus, it may be seen that securing the control of local councils is one thing but maintaining their stability as well as serving the interests of the public is quite another. The people are not well-disposed towards the local councils and their members. That was why they did not protest against the postponement of the LG elections. The ongoing no-holds-barred struggle for control of the local councils will only give a big fillip to growing public disillusionment with the third tier of government. The same holds true for the second tier of government—the Provincial Councils, which have remained unelected since 2017.
