27/10/2025
When President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office, his government promised to restore democratic institutions that had long been neglected, particularly the Provincial Council (PC) elections, which have not been held since 2018. Early statements from NPP leaders suggested that polls would be conducted by early 2026, ensuring the revival of devolved governance under the 13th Amendment.
However, after the co-operative election defeats, that enthusiasm appears to have diminished. Within the NPP and JVP circles, some leaders are now calling for strategic patience, arguing that the government should focus on development and constitutional reforms before holding PC elections. In practice, this follows a familiar political pattern. Successive governments have used similar justifications, including delimitation and reform priorities, to defer provincial polls indefinitely. The NPP, once the loudest critic of such evasions, now seems poised to follow the same course.
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