The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has expelled five of its members from the Bulathsinhala Pradeshiya Sabha with immediate effect, after concluding that the councillors backed the National People’s Power (NPP) in the formation of the council administration in exchange for money, Kalutara District SJB MP Jagath Vithana said.
Those expelled are former SJB group leader Nihal Mendis and members Mohamed Nishard, Kanthi Pelawatta, Ayesha Chamali and Pushpa Samarasinghe.
Vithana, addressing a press conference, said the joint opposition at Bulathsinhala had a comfortable working majority — 16 members, including representatives of an independent group, the United National Party and the SJB’s own six councillors — against nine NPP members. The five expelled members were SJB-elected councillors who supported NPP proposals at last month’s council meeting and “never opposed them”, he said.
The MP said he had repeatedly complained to the party leadership about the councillors’ conduct before the expulsion was approved. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated after a Buddhist monk from the area handed Opposition Leader and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa a recording said to support allegations that the councillors had accepted bribes from the NPP. “That recording was presented to our leader and the party’s General Secretary. After that, it was confirmed that such an incident had taken place,” Vithana said. The Working Committee then decided to expel the members.
Vithana said the vacancies would be filled in accordance with the law. No figures for the alleged payments were disclosed.
The Bulathsinhala expulsions extend a pattern of post-election party discipline disputes at local council level — the SJB had earlier expelled three of its Colombo Municipal Council councillors who crossed to the joint opposition, while the NPP itself has accepted resignations from councillors caught up in misconduct allegations elsewhere.
