News
More than 2,000 women to be elected to local councils
View(s):More than 2,000 women representatives will be elected to local government bodies under the newly introduced mixed electoral system that calls for at least 25 percent women representation in local councils. Elections conducted under the previous Proportional Representative system returned only 82 women members to all the local councils which now stand dissolved.
The Gazette notification giving the number of members to each council was issued yesterday.
Accordingly 8,356 members will be elected to 341 local councils, a sharp increase of 4,486 from the number of members returned to the councils in the last elections. Of them, 3,840 members will be elected under the first-past-the-post system while the rest will be elected under the PR systme. Of the 341 local councils, 276 are pradeshiya sabhas, 41 urban councils and 24 municipal councils. All councils should be convened by February 15, next year.
Welcoming the decision to increase women representation in local governance, election watchdog People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) noted that it is now up to the political parties to field qualified and capable women to have an impact on the functions of local councils and in the decision-making process at the grassroots level. The number of members to be elected to municipal and urban councils are given below, with the figures within parenthesis indicating the number of members elected at the last elections.
Municipal Councils:
Colombo 110 (55), Dehiwala – Mt Lavinia 48 (32), Sri Jayawardenapura 35 (20), Kaduwela 46 (28), Moratuwa 48 (29), Negombo 48 (26), Gampaha 28 (18), Kurunegala 21 (12), Kandy 41 (24), Matale 21 (13), Dambulla 21(15), N’eliya 21(10), Badulla 25 (15), Bandarawela 19 (9), Galle 35 (19), Matara 28 (15), Hambantota 21(12), Ratnapura 28 (15) , Anuradhapura 25 (13), Jaffna 45 (23), Batticalaoa 33 (19, Ampara 16 (9), Kalmunai 34 (19), and Akkaraipattu 24 (9).
Urban councils:
Kolonnawa 18 (11), Seethawakapura 23 (11), Maharagama 41 (24), Boralesgamuwa 16 (10), Kesbewa 33 (18), Wattala- Mabole 16 (09), Peliyagoda 16 (9), Katunayake- Seeduwa 18 (9) , Minuwangoda 15 (11), Ja-ela 16 (9), Panadura 16 (9) , Horana 11(9), Kalutara 20 (11), Beruwala 16 (9), Kuliyapitiya 16 (9), Puttalam 18 (9), Chilaw 20 (11) , Wattegama 15 (9), Kadugannawa 15 (12) , Gampola 28 (15) , Nawalapitiya 15 (9) , Hatton – Dickoya 15 (9), Talawakele – Lindula 11 (9) , Haputale (9) , Ambalangoda 20 (13) , Hikkaduwa 18 (11) , Weligama 18 (11) , Tangalle 18 (9) , Balangoda 16 (9) , Embilitpitiya 13 (7) , Kegalle 20 (11) , Point Pedro 15 (10), Velvettithuria 15 (10) , Chavakachcheri 18 (11) , Mannar 15 (7) , Vavuniya 20 (11) , Kathankudi 16 (9) , Eravur 16 (9), Ampara 16 (9) and Trincomalee 23 (12) .