The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) suffered a political setback Monday after its inaugural budget for the Colombo Municipal Council was defeated by three votes.
The CMC rejected the budget by a narrow margin, with 60 councillors voting against it and 57 in favour, after a joint opposition bloc united to defeat the proposal.
The NPP did not win an outright majority at the last local government election but was able to form the council’s administration with the backing of smaller political groups.
That support, however, did not hold during the budget vote.
Under Sri Lanka’s local government law, the defeat of a municipal budget does not automatically dissolve the council or remove the ruling administration, unlike the consequences of a budget defeat in Parliament.
As a result, there is no immediate administrative impact, and the NPP will continue to run the Colombo Municipal Council.
However, the loss is seen as politically significant, highlighting weakened support within the council and raising questions about the administration’s ability to pass key measures and govern effectively in the months ahead.
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