The newly elected Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will hold its inaugural meeting on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the Town Hall in Colombo. The primary agenda is to elect a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor through a ballot among the 117 councilors. This election is necessary because no party secured a clear majority in the recent local government polls.
The mayoral contest has narrowed to two main candidates. Vraie Cally Balthazaar, an executive committee member of the National People’s Power (NPP), represents the largest party with 48 seats in the council but falls short of a majority. His main opponent, Riza Zarook, a lawyer and businessman, is the nominee of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which holds 29 seats and is supported by a wider opposition coalition. No other significant candidates have emerged, and the Deputy Mayor is expected to be chosen from the winning coalition.
The CMC’s 117 seats are distributed among several parties: NPP with 48 seats, SJB with 29, United National Party (UNP) holding 13, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) with 5, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) with 4, and 18 seats held by minor parties and independents. With a simple majority requiring 59 votes, both major blocs are actively seeking support from smaller parties and independent councilors to secure victory.
The opposition coalition, led by the SJB, includes the UNP, SLPP, SLMC, and other groups. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam has confirmed support for Zarook, while the UNP leadership, including former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa have coordinated efforts to consolidate opposition votes. On the other hand, the NPP has focused on gaining backing from smaller alliances like the United Peace Alliance and Democratic National Alliance, as well as courting independents. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake personally met with independent councilors, securing several pledges of support for Balthazaar.
Political tensions have surfaced ahead of the vote. Dissanayake has criticized the opposition’s coalition as an attempt to undermine the NPP’s electoral mandate and has hinted at possible legal action. Opposition leaders argue that forming coalitions reflects the will of the voters. Internal dissent has also appeared within the opposition, with UNP councilor Ramzi Imtiyaz expressing concerns over Zarook’s nomination and threatening to abstain. However, SJB officials have dismissed these objections and reaffirmed their support for Zarook.
Colombo’s mayoral post is highly significant, being the most prominent among the 339 local government bodies elected in May. The CMC administers the capital city and is considered a key political indicator. The NPP, which controls 151 councils nationally, views Colombo as strategically vital, while the opposition sees a victory here as proof of its ability to unite against the ruling party. The election result, expected on Monday afternoon, will reveal whether the NPP can extend its urban influence or if a multi-party opposition coalition will take control of Sri Lanka’s capital. Although the contest is expected to be closely fought, the NPP currently holds a slight edge.
