Disasters and devolution debacle View(s):As the 2024 elected JVP-NPP appeared to be settling in after a year in the seat of government, their ‘Rendezvous with Destiny’ to change the political landscape was sent into a tailspin in just 24 hours by a natural disaster: a cyclone turned out to be their tormentor, not the political opposition they were hounding all year long. Many councils under Opposition control were bereft of this support even for cyclone relief work. Either way, the end result is that many of the local councils are dysfunctional today. Is that what the Provincial Councils are going to produce in elections pledged for this year? Very little is discussed of the effectiveness of these councils, which merely drain public funds in salaries and expenses.

Source: Sunday Times January 03, 2026 20:36 UTC