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New brooms in CMC gung ho on sweeping clean
After a lapse of more than two years, elected representatives will be back in charge of managing the City’s affairs, once the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) conducts its inaugural session in a few weeks. With 119 members, the CMC is the country’s largest Local Government (LG) body. The increase of members from 55 under the old electoral system, to the current number under the new system, means the CMC’s inaugural session and Council meetings will, temporarily, be held at the BMICH. While this may not be the most auspicious of beginnings, those who are looking forward to taking their seats in the Council say, they are eager to get to work on resolving issues that are foremost in the minds of those in the city.
The United National Party (UNP) won the CMC handsomely, with 60 members elected, giving the party an outright majority in the Council. Eight of the 60 members elected are women. The number of female members within the CMC is set to rise further, once other parties nominate members to make up the 25% female quota mandated by law. Rosy Senanayake, Colombo’s first female Mayor-to-be, said she is looking forward to working with such a large percentage of women members for the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, and believes the women will prove they can take the Council to a new level of efficiency.
Mrs Senanayake, meanwhile, has identified several areas in the City, which need immediate attention. “Controlling the spread of dengue is one. More efficient and practical solutions to the disposal of garbage is another,” she told the Sunday Times in an email interview.
“There is an urgent need for clean and well maintained public toilets, both for the under-served communities and for those who visit the City daily,” she further stressed. Mrs Senanayake also plans to develop community centres to provide career counselling, guidance and assistance for self-employment, activities for street kids, the elderly and the disabled, library and internet facilities, and a host of other services.
“Parks, playgrounds and public markets etc. maintained by the CMC will be spruced up. Our plan is for a fully digitized MC, for effective and efficient service delivery. To this end, we will be looking at the current e-services offered to ensure user-friendliness and improve or introduce new systems as necessary,” she added.
Mrs Senanayake believes achieving these goals will not be difficult. Having had the opportunity to work with some of the CMC staff in her capacity as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, she said she found them to be highly qualified and very keen to make changes. This is the first time since 2002 that the UNP has a majority in the CMC, but she said she intends to work as a team with all Councillors.
While it is not ideal, the newly elected Mayor said they had no option under the circumstances, other than to hold the monthly Council meetings in the Committee rooms of the BMICH. “Plans are afoot to create space within the CMC premises and am hopeful we can have our Council meetings in our own premises, before the end of the year.”
Sujith Prasanna Perera, also from the UNP, emerged victorious from the Kirula Ward in Narahenpita (Colombo 5). A first time Councillor, Mr Perera is hoping to resolve pressing issues native to his area as a priority. “There are some poorer neighbourhoods here, where many houses are stacked close together, and the drainage system has been in a terrible state for quite some time,” he remarked. This has made such areas a veritable health hazard, according to Mr Perera. “Frankly speaking, the children play in filth.”
The CMC member firmly believes that such problems can be resolved. “The people waited more than 2 years to elect representatives to address such issues,” he pointed out. “We are very much looking forward to getting down to work.” Milinda Rajapakshe from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a contestant hoping to be appointed a member, told the Sunday Times, that the CMC has been largely inactive for nearly 3 years now, and plagued by corruption. “We will have to make it active again and this requires a proper programme with the active participation of all, both Council members and employees.”
Mr Rajapakshe said, as professionals, they do not intend to accept salaries or other benefits from the Council, adding that, just because the SLPP members would be in the opposition, it did not mean they intended to oppose every decision the UNP-led Council takes. “However, we will not allow anyone to rob a single rupee from the Council.”
Sinnathambi Baskara elected to the Pamankada West ward for the second time, from the Democratic Peoples Front (DPF), stated that, one of his top priorities would be ensuring implementation of the country’s bilingual policy in government offices and noticeboards within the CMC. “During the previous Council, we developed many initiatives for the implementation of the bilingual policy, but could not complete it. I’m hoping to continue that process from where we left off,” he added.
Mr Baskara further highlighted that, the increasing number of condominiums without deeds has become a major issue in Colombo, where occupants are not provided with deeds by construction companies citing various reasons. “We have to take a definite stand on this issue, as owners are facing many difficulties without documentation, when they want to sell or transfer their apartments to third parties.”
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has already mapped out certain issues the party wants to look into regarding Colombo, its CMC Group Leader Dr Ranil Jayasena stated. Dr Jayasena, though, refused to divulge what those issues were. “We would first like to address them before speaking about them to the media,” he stressed. Dr Jayasena also ruled out the JVP forming any alliances with other parties within the CMC. “We will work independently to serve the people. We are asking them to support us.”
He further expressed dissatisfaction regarding the move to hold Council sessions at the BMICH, due to lack of space at the CMC. While it was understandable that alternative arrangements should be found for the time being, Dr Jayasena, nevertheless, insisted that a far less expensive venue should be found, so that the burden on the taxpayer is lessened.