United National Party (UNP) Chairman Wajira Abeywardena said that the appointment of inexperienced individuals to lead local government bodies risks plunging them into the same dysfunction and inefficiency that have plagued Parliament in recent times.
Addressing the media following an event in Mapalagama, Galle, Abeywardena emphasised the importance of experience and administrative knowledge in local government leadership.
“There is no such thing as a government or opposition in local government. Once elected, representatives must act in accordance with the majority’s mandate. There are many former local councillors still available, and these individuals must be given the opportunity to lead. If not, we will once again face a crisis similar to what we saw in Parliament, where a group with no experience failed to handle the economy or governance effectively,” he said.
Reflecting on his own tenure as Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Abeywardena recalled that all local bodies in the Galle District were then under the control of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Despite the political alignment, he said he invited every chairperson and their deputies to the ministry and instructed them to use the allocated public funds responsibly and in the interest of the people, regardless of party affiliation.
“That is how governance should work. Just because someone does not belong to the ruling party does not mean their local body should be denied funds. The central government cannot withhold funds on political grounds. There are well-established procedures for allocating money to local authorities, and those must be upheld,” he noted.
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