Provincial Councils Without Polls: A Decade of Delay
Sri Lanka last held Provincial Council elections in 2014 in the Western and Southern Provinces. By 2019, the terms of all nine councils had run out. Now, well into 2026, more than a decade later, they are still without elected representatives.
An entire tier of government has been left operating without a fresh mandate from the people. This raises serious questions about genuine representation, devolution and whether the State is truly willing to share power beyond the centre.
The National People’s Power government swept into office in 2024 with a promise to restore democratic institutions, including holding long-overdue Provincial Council elections. Nearly a year and a half on, that promise is yet to be kept.
Rationale for Devolution
The Provincial Councils were created in 1987 under the 13th Amendment, following the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord. The idea was to move power away from the centre and give provinces greater control over everyday matters like education, health, agriculture, especially to meet regional and minority aspirations.
Governance Without Representation
Today, provincial administration continues under Governors appointed directly by the President. This further centralises power, contrary to the intent of the 13th Amendment.
Public services have not ceased in the Provinces. Schools function. Hospitals operate. Administrative systems continue. But the mechanism meant to reflect the will of the people is ineffective. Decision-making authority has shifted to officials appointed by the Centre. As a result, communities lack direct political representation and policies are being shaped without proper local input or debate. The system continues in form, but not in substance.
The Deadlock
The main reason for the delay is disagreement over how the elections should be conducted. Back in 2017, reforms were introduced to create a mixed electoral system that combined first-past-the-post constituencies with proportional representation. Carrying this out needed a fresh delimitation of boundaries, but disputes over the new boundaries and the lack of agreement in Parliament have stalled implementation.
As things stand, elections cannot go ahead under the old rules or the new ones. In early 2026, the government set up a Parliamentary Select Committee to try and break the impasse. The Government maintains that the delay is procedural and that elections will follow once consensus is reached.
A Question of Political Will
Many in the opposition and civil society calling for elections are not convinced. They see the delay not as a technical issue, but as a political choice. By keeping the councils unelected, the centre keeps tighter control over provincial affairs and resources, while avoiding elections that could bring uncomfortable results.
Suggestions to hold elections quickly under the old proportional system, while continuing to work on reforms, have gone nowhere. To many critics, the endless committees and discussions are simply another way to push things further down the road.
The Select Committee has so far produced only a preliminary report, with more work still ahead. This has only strengthened doubts about the further delay of elections.
Impact and Uncertainty
The effects are felt most strongly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. There, the councils have always been seen as an important platform for minority voices. Without elections, communities have no legitimate elected body to represent their concerns.
Resource allocation is another concern. Traditionally, Provincial Councils influenced regional development spending and tailored policies to provincial needs. Now those decisions rest almost entirely with the central government, which can make planning feel distant and less responsive to local needs.
This long delay has created an odd situation: devolution still exists on paper in the Constitution, but its democratic life has been put on hold. The future of the Provincial Councils now depends on political agreement that still seems far from reach.
The councils exist. But the electorate has no voice within them.
References
https://www.parliament.lk/en/home/parliament-news/view/5121