President Anura Kumara Dissanayake affirmed that the National People’s Power (NPP) will establish administrative control in all local government bodies where the party has secured victory, stressing the importance of respecting the people’s mandate.

Speaking at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) held at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre in Colombo on Wednesday (14), the Head of the State emphasized that any attempts to undermine the electoral will of the people would be countered using the full force of the Constitution, the law, and political mechanisms.

“You must understand what a ‘mandate’ truly means. There are factions that believe power in urban councils can be decided arbitrarily or concentrated in the hands of one or two individuals. But for the first time in Sri Lanka, the NPP has won control of 267 Pradeshiya Sabhas. We have every right, under the people’s mandate, to form administrations in each of them,” he stated.

President Dissanayake further warned that any attempts to obstruct the NPP’s authority in these local bodies would be met with legal and political resistance. “If someone seeks to block our right to govern, there is more than enough room in the law to deal with such efforts. If that fails, we have the parliamentary strength to take it further—even to the extent of constitutional amendments,” he said.

Responding to claims that the NPP’s mandate is being challenged, the President dismissed such assertions, noting that when comparing recent local government election results with parliamentary representation, the numbers reflect a solid mandate. 

“Some say our mandate has been nullified. We will have 122 members in Parliament, if we calculate based on the results. Where is the mandate being denied? That is the real mandate,” he added.