The United National Party (UNP) has urged the Government not to dissolve the Colombo Municipal Council by converting it into an Authority in order to suit its political agenda and deprive the people of their right to have a Council run by elected representatives.
“This is a politically motivated, dishonest act, carried out with the intention of bringing under its control the democratically elected institutions, United National Party Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya said in a statement issued on the proposal to convert the CMC into an Authority.
The UNP cautioned the Government that the journey disregarding the will of the people is short lived and challenged the Government to hold elections to the Colombo Municipal Council and face reality.
“We are for a Municipal Council run by the representatives elected by the people. We are against the Municipal Council under the control of the President,” the statement said.
It added that the CMC is the largest local government body of this country and according to historical records its first meeting was convened on January 16, 1866.
“Except for a brief period under Dr. N.M. Perera, and Mr. A.H.M. Fowzie, who changed his political loyalty after being elected as a Mayor under the UNP, the Colombo Municipal Council was administered by the UNP during the past 50 years,” it added
Mr.Jayasuriya who commenced his political career as the Mayor of Colombo said during his tenure he realized that CMC could be turned into an efficient and productive institution without changing its structure. “If the administration of the CMC has deteriorated during the past five years, it is due to the political inability of some members and lack of management skills of the persons who guided them,” it added. |
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