Sri Lankans vote in local polls amid corruption claims, test for ruling party

Polls opened across Sri Lanka at 7:00 am Tuesday for the country’s first local government elections in seven years, seen as a key test of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), which came to power last November on a pledge to root out corruption.

A total of 17.1 million voters are eligible to elect representatives to 339 local bodies, including 28 municipalities, 36 urban councils, and 275 pradeshiya sabhas. Voting is taking place at 13,759 polling stations nationwide.

The NPP, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, says it has already curbed corruption at the executive and legislative levels and is now seeking to extend its reforms to local government.

The opposition, meanwhile, remains fragmented and has struggled to mount a significant challenge to the NPP’s two-thirds majority in parliament.

A total of 75,589 candidates from 49 political parties and 257 independent groups are contesting the polls. The vote will decide 8,287 local seats.

The Election Commission said no international monitors will be present for this vote, while local observers have reported a rise in election-related complaints compared to two previous elections.

The election monitoring group PAFFREL said it had received at least 20 complaints related to the misuse of state resources. Police have arrested 54 candidates and 204 supporters for alleged violations of election law.

Since March 20, the commission has received over 4,600 complaints, of which 3,825 have been resolved.