Members of the Jaffna Municipal Council staged a protest on Tuesday, accusing the Municipal Commissioner and other government officials of continuously obstructing the work of the council’s elected representatives.
The symbolic protest was organised jointly, with representatives from every political party holding seats in the 45-member council taking part.
All parties represented
Members of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the National People’s Power (NPP), the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), the United National Party (UNP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) all joined the demonstration.
The cross-party turnout is unusual in Jaffna local politics, where the NPP and the Tamil nationalist parties are normally in open competition.
The allegations
Council members said the alleged improper conduct of officials had created a situation in which elected representatives cannot properly meet the basic needs of residents or reach out to them effectively.
They further alleged that officials were deliberately delaying essential services and development work that should be delivered to the public through the Municipal Council, while attempting to interfere with and undermine the powers and responsibilities of elected members.
Friction between elected councillors and appointed administrative officers has been a recurring feature of local government in Sri Lanka, where commissioners and secretaries are public servants answerable to central ministries rather than to the councils they serve.
