Chairman of the Election (EC) Commission R. M. A. L. Ratnayake said yesterday that the EC would direct the political parties and independent groups that have secured absolute majorities in local government bodies to name the heads of those institutions.

The ruling NPP and the Opposition parties are vying for control of the hung local councils including the Colombo MC. Both the NPP and the SJB have offered to coalesce with independent groups to muster majorities.

Ratnayake said that notifications would be sent to the General Secretaries of parties and independent groups that have won local government bodies with a majority of more than 50% of the vote.

The results of the 2025 Local Government election held on Tuesday (6) were released on Wednesday (7).

The NPP won 266 out of 339 local government institutions. The SJB and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi won 13 and 37 councils respectively. Independent groups and regional Tamil political parties won the other councils.

However, the winners have failed to secure more than 50% of seats in a majority of the local government institutions.Ratnayake said that the members elected to local government institutions at the ward level would be officially gazetted in the coming days.

The heads of the non-majority councils will be elected by their members. The government and the Opposition are accusing each other of using financial inducements to make some councilors switch their allegiance ahead of the election of the heads of the hung local councils.

The NPP has said it is confident of forming stable administrations in 134 local councils, but the Opposition is of the view that the NPP will not be able to do so in about 186 councils.

The Supreme Court yesterday (8) turned down an appeal filed by former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, seeking the dismissal of a case against him and three others by the Attorney General over a road accident that took place in Rajagiriya in 2016.

 This decision was announced by Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, with the concurrence of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Gamini Amarasekera.

 They ruled that the appeal lacked merit and directed the High Court to proceed with the trial.

 The Attorney General filed the indictment on charges including concealing evidence regarding the alleged hit-and-run incident where the vehicle the former Minister was travelling in collided with a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, and the alleged fabrication of evidence related to the accident.

The Supreme Court ordered the Colombo High Court to take up the indictment filed against the defendants for examination.

Cabinet Spokesman Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday, at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, that the government would not allow other countries to use Sri Lankan territory for military purposes.

Asked to reveal the government’s position on the ongoing Indo-Pakistan conflict, Dr. Jayatissa said Sri Lanka would always reject all forms of terrorism and stand for regional peace.

Commenting on the developments along the borders of India and Pakistan, the Minister said the government was taking note of the updates given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Jayatissa said that Sri Lanka would not get involved in geopolitical issues within the Indian Ocean and said the government would continue its ‘non-aligned’ policy.

Sri Lanka maintained cordial diplomatic ties with both India and Pakistan, the Minister said.