Dilrook Kannangara

JVP won power in 265 LG bodies and the closest rival SJB only managed 14. ITAK and other minority parties are no challengers to the JVP. This is an astronomical election victory. UNP, SLPP, SLFP and others were essentially wiped out unable to win a single LG body! They lost the country and now the village too.

Though defeated, SJB has positioned itself as the next favored regime. Voters’ choice for the next leader is between Anura and Sajith. Others have been rendered irrelevant.

Comparing local government elections with parliamentary or presidential elections is unwise. Local government elections offer hope for small and independent groups and have always caused fragmented election results. However, national elections offer no hope for these groups and they vote for the main contestants only. The other factor is the low voter turnout at LG elections.

Building up grassroots level political structures is very important for all political parties. LG councilors are often the election organizers of their parties, essentially the backbone of any political campaign. SLPP suffered the largest drop in the number of LG bodies and councilors in Lankan history which will cost them dearly.

However, there is no time for celebrations for the government. It must quickly build up foreign reserves that fell to zero in January 2022 in the hope that by 2027 Sri Lanka will have sufficient amounts of dollars to repay foreign loans and their interest unpaid since 2022. Failing that it will be bankruptcy again. Global and regional challenges are unprecedented and will certainly have an adverse economic impact.