Wed May 07 17:32:01 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lanka’s Ruling Party Suffers Setback in Local Elections

**Colombo, Sri Lanka –** Sri Lanka’s ruling National People’s Power (NPP) party, while emerging as the largest party in the recently concluded local council elections, suffered a significant blow to its popularity. Despite winning 265 out of 339 councils, the NPP’s share of the vote plummeted to 43%, a dramatic fall from the 68% secured in last November’s parliamentary elections. This suggests a decline in public support for the government despite its victories in the presidential and parliamentary polls held last year.

The NPP’s ability to form administrations in many of the councils it won is also uncertain, as opposition parties collectively hold more seats than the NPP in numerous local bodies. The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) won only 14 councils but secured 21% of the vote.

Voter turnout exceeded 70% in these elections, which were postponed in 2023 due to the island nation’s economic crisis. The NPP’s underwhelming performance is particularly notable in Colombo, where they secured only 48 out of 117 seats. Conversely, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) performed strongly in the Tamil-dominated north, winning 43 out of 58 contested councils.

Political analysts view the local council elections as a key indicator of the government’s performance in implementing economic reforms. While the NPP claims its call for reforming local governance has been heeded, the significant drop in vote share points to a possible shift in public sentiment. The opposition parties are exploring potential alliances to capitalize on the NPP’s weakened position.

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