Sri Lanka held its 2025 Local Government election today to choose members for Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, which oversee services such as garbage collection, park maintenance, and local road upkeep.
Under Sri Lanka’s Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, introduced in 2017, voters select a political party or independent group in their local ward.
Seats are then distributed based on the overall share of votes each party receives. First used in the 2018 election, the MMP system combines direct ward-level representation with proportional allocation, making the vote-counting process more complex.
What happens if no party wins a majority?
To control a council, a party or group must secure more than half the available seats. If no party achieves a majority, the party with the most seats cannot govern alone.
In such cases, it must form a coalition or alliance with other parties or independent members to reach a majority.
If the leading party fails to build a coalition, other parties may form an alliance to gain control, even if none individually won the most seats. This often occurs in areas with fragmented vote shares.
Parties which did not receive the highest vote count may still assume control through strategic alliances. During the first meeting of the Council, parties and groups may agree to elect a Mayor, Chairman, or to form a ruling coalition.
For example, in the Tangalle Urban Council, the NPP won 9 seats while opposition parties and independent groups secured a combined 11 seats.
A chairman could be elected if the NPP forms a majority alliance with either an opposition party, an independent group or an elected member.
According to the Election Commission, if a party or group wins more than 50% of seats, its leader can appoint the Chairman or Mayor.
If no majority is achieved, these positions are filled by a vote at the first council meeting. (Newswire)
