Colombo’s Future in the Balance: Mayoral Election Today

COLOMBO (News 1st); The newly elected Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will convene its inaugural session this morning (16) at 9:30 a.m. at the Town Hall, with the primary agenda of electing a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor. 

The session, will be presided over by Municipal Commissioner Palitha Nanayakkara, and comes after a tightly contested local government election in which no single party secured a majority.

The mayoral race has narrowed to two key contenders: Vraie Cally Balthazaar, representing the National People’s Power (NPP), and Riza Zarook, backed by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and a coalition of opposition parties. 

The NPP emerged as the largest bloc with 48 seats but fell short of the 59-seat majority required in the 117-member council.

The SJB won 29 seats, and the United National Party secured 13 seats, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 5 seats, and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress secured 4 seats.

The outcome of today’s vote is expected to be a bellwether for national politics, with Colombo’s mayoral post seen as the most influential among the 339 local bodies elected in May.