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DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: Majority of councils won by NPP; struggling to form administrations in 149 councils; Thinakaran: National People’s Power has 3,927 members; local government elections concluded peacefully without any incidents | “No alliance with anyone rejected by the people” – Mervyn Silva |
Thinakkural: The NPP wins in 266 LG bodies including 23 municipal councils, 26 urban councils and 217 pradeshiya sabhas; the ITAK wins in 35 bodies; the SJB wins in 14 bodies | Thamilan: India-Pakistan war on the edge of breaking out! India launches sudden attack in the middle of the night | Local Government Election 2025: Decline in popular support |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: Anura secures LG bodies in his grasp as well; NPP wins 265 councils; SJB wins 14; ITAK wins 37; NPP wins the Colombo Municipal Council as well, though establishing control is a crisis; the SLPP increases its votes Divaina: The NPP secures victory in 269 local bodies out of 339: wins the majority in 119 councils | “We will establish power in Colombo” – SJB general secretary | Who will be named for the seat of mayor of Colombo? Both sides race to establish power; although the NPP won, the majority goes to the Opposition; Balthazaar of the NPP vs Dr. Ruvaiz from the SJB | “We will not lean on other parties” – Dilith Jayaweera Ada: NPP secures sole control over 116 local authorities; although the NPP secured the majority of votes in 120 local government bodies, other political parties and groups to take control with a majority of the seats |
Mawbima: The NPP secures 266 local government bodies; 4,503,930 votes; percentage recorded at 43%; SJB wins 14 councils; gaining control over 116 councils they have won has become a challenge for the NPP Dinamina: A historic victory: The NPP wins over 265 councils; 4,503,930 votes; 3,927 seats; the SLPP loses all 226 councils; the UNP and the SLPP have not secured a single council; the SJB wins 14 councils Aruna: The NPP wins over 265 authorities; establishing power in 139 councils is in crisis Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Sunday Observer
“It is a lie that the ITAK has become weak; it has shown its strength even more than when it was in the TNA” – M.A. Sumanthiran
Thinakkural, Thinakaran, Virakesari, Thamilan
General Secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) M.A. Sumanthiran claimed that the local government election results have shown that they have won a landslide victory this time by contesting in 58 councils and capturing the power to govern in 40 councils. He added that the victory achieved by the ITAK individually this time is greater than the victory it achieved when it contested as the Tamil National Alliance in 2018. He further added that this victory shows the love that the people have for Tamil nationalism. Sumanthiran noted that the fake ‘Anura wave’ has been ended, ensuring the existence of the Tamils in the election. He stressed that the ITAK has secured a majority in the Jaffna Municipal Council, and therefore other parties should support to give the post of mayor to his party.
“Political parties seeking the cooperation of the NPP to form an administration in the North despite not
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“Strategy to form administrations in all
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“The opposition parties have lost 50 – 100 councils” – Ranil Wickremesinghe
Thinakkural
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that if the opposition parties had
followed his instruction to contest collaboratively in the LG election they could have won 50 to 100 councils in the election. He added that they should have done it in Colombo.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
“Will understand the public mandate and make future decisions” – Namal Rajapaksa
Divaina, Ada, Mawbima
National Organiser of the SLPP Namal Rajapaksa stated that as a responsible political party and group, their decisions must be made after understanding the mandate of the public. He added that, accordingly, the future decisions of the party will be made after discussing with the political board. Rajapaksa made the statement while responding to questions asked by journalists regarding the 2025 Local Government (LG) elections. Rajapaksa also stated that the SLPP’s votes have increased and that the party is prepared to embark on a new journey with this new result. He further stressed that through this election the party has received the power to establish an SLPP government in the future.
“If there is no majority, the mayor/chairperson shall be elected by collective agreement of the members” – RMAL Rathnayake
Aruna Chair of the Election Commission (EC) R.M.A.L Rathnayake stated that since the combined number of seats of the other parties in certain local government bodies has exceeded the number of seats won by a single party in the 2025 Local Government (LG) Elections, the appointment of the chair or mayor will be based on the collective agreement of the members of the relevant local government body. Rathnayake added that if the number of elected members of a single party or independent group in local government bodies is 50% or more, the EC will notify the relevant party or group to nominate a chair and deputy chair. However, he added further, that if a majority is not obtained, the EC will not intervene and that after the relevant council is established, the chair and vice chair will be selected based on the wishes of the members. |
“The mayor of Colombo will be from the Opposition” – Rahuman
Mawbima SJB MP Mujibur Rahuman stated that although the NPP has managed to secure 48 seats, it does not have a majority in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). Rahuman added that, accordingly, the SJB together with other opposition parties are in discussion to appoint a mayor for the CMC through the opposition. |
The UNP fortress of Colombo crumbles after 50 years: Kandy also to the NPP
Dinamina
The NPP was able to secure an overall majority of power as a single party in the Colombo Municipal Council, the oldest and largest local government authority in the country and the municipal governing body of the largest city and financial centre of Sri Lanka. It is noteworthy that the NPP has managed to win 48 seats in the Colombo Municipal Council this time, securing more than 81,000 votes or 36.92% of the vote. The UNP, which had held power in the Colombo Municipal Council for about 50 years, has lost its power. Even after the war victory in 2011, the SLFP led by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa won all other local government bodies in the country, but power in the Colombo Municipal Council was retained by the UNP. It is also historic that the NPP won the Kandy Municipal Council, one of the country’s main local government authorities, this time.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Instagram
Anura secures LG bodies in his grasp as well; NPP wins 265 councils; SJB wins 14; ITAK wins 37; NPP wins the Colombo Municipal Council as well, though establishing control is a crisis; the SLPP increases its votes
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran, Thamilan
The results of the 2025 Local Government (LG) Elections were finalised yesterday (7th). Accordingly, the governing party of Sri Lanka, the NPP, has received 4,503,930 votes in the 2025 Local Government Elections, securing 3,927 seats across the island. Official results state that the NPP is leading in 265 local councils, which include 22 municipal councils, 26 urban councils and 217 pradeshiya sabhas. The SJB followed with 2,258,480 votes, securing 1,767 seats. The party is leading in 13 local councils, which include two urban councils and 11 pradeshiya sabhas. The SLPP has received 954,517, securing 742 seats in the election, but has failed to secure any local councils. The UNP has secured 381 seats by obtaining 488,406 votes, but has also failed to secure any local councils. The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) has received 307,657 votes, securing 377 seats. The party is leading in 37 councils, which include three municipal councils, one urban council, and 33 pradeshiya sabhas. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has secured 116 seats, leading in five local councils which include two urban councils and three pradeshiya sabhas, while the People’s Alliance has secured 300 seats and the Sarvajana Balaya has secured 226 seats.
It is further reported that a crisis has arisen as to who will secure the mayoral post in Colombo. Although the NPP has secured the majority of votes, the collective victory of the opposition parties in Colombo has paved the way for this crisis.
While the press prominently highlights the victory of the NPP, Thamilan reports that there is a decline in popular support for the NPP, councils in the North are controlled by Tamil parties, Muslim parties are popular in the East and votes were divided among parties in Malayagam (Hill Country).
“The people have trusted the NPP in this election: we will not align ourselves with rejected parties; if offered, we will accept the support of independent groups” – Tilvin Silva
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran
General Secretary of the JVP, the main constituent party of the NPP coalition, Tilvin Silva states that the NPP has no intention of establishing majorities in any local government body through coalitions with parties that have been rejected by the people. Silva made the statement speaking at a press conference held yesterday (7th), following the release of the 2025 Local Government (LG) Election results. Silva emphasised that the NPP would only consider joining forces with candidates who contested independently – if they are willing to cooperate. He added further that although the NPP has managed to secure majority control in a large number of LG bodies, there are some authorities where, despite the NPP receiving the highest number of votes as a party, other parties collectively have won more seats. Tilvin Silva stressed that the NPP believes that it is neither fair nor realistic if small parties that contested separately try to combine their results and claim a majority.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. War ignites between India and Pakistan | India’s Operation Sindoor destroys terrorist bases in Pakistan – Lankadeepa, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan
2. Keheliya Rambukwella remanded over causing the government a loss of Rs. 8 million – Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran
3. “The people have given a message that the Opposition must come together to defeat lies and establish a truthful public service. The SJB is prepared to render its leadership for this challenging responsibility” – Premadasa – Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Thinakaran, Thamilan
4. “We will establish power in Colombo” – SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara – Divaina, Ada, Aruna, Thinakaran
5. Prasanna Ranaweera who was in hiding for two months remanded – Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakaran
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