Turning Point: The Colombo Coup—Budget Blues and Mayoral Mutiny

By Faraz Shauketaly –

If you thought the storms in the hills were bad, wait until you see the typhoon that just ripped through the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). It seems the “National People’s Power” has hit a brick wall right in the heart of our commercial capital.

The maiden budget of the NPP-held CMC has been defeated. Not just delayed, not just debated, but voted down—60 votes to 57. It’s a narrow margin, yes, but in politics, a miss is as good as a mile.

The Mayor: Vraîe Cally Balthazaar—To Resign or Not to Resign?

Now, let’s get the name right—it’s Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, the second woman to ever wear the Mayoral robes of Colombo. And the question everyone is screaming at the Town Hall steps is: Does she pack her bags?

• The Law: Under our current local government framework—specifically the Municipal Council Ordinance—the defeat of a budget is not the same as a “No Confidence” vote in Parliament. It does not mean the Mayor is automatically kicked out of the Srinivasa.
• The Grace Period: The law gives the Mayor a “second bite at the cherry.” She has roughly two weeks to re-submit a revised budget. If that second attempt fails, then—and only then—is she “deemed to have resigned.”
• The “Deemed Resignation“: If that second attempt fails, then the law is merciless. She will be “deemed to have resigned,” and Colombo will be thrown into a leadership crisis in the middle of a national recovery.

The Mayors Budget for the 2026 was defeated, 60 -57. 

At the time of the Election of the Mayor too, her party did not have the requisite numbers. They had 48 and hence they arranged the requisite numbers from the other elected members , by a ‘secret’ vote , they got the requisite nos of 60+. 

The Annual Budget vote is by name call, and members are exposed if they defy party directives. 

She has to present the 2nd vote before end Dec, 25 in order to make it a legally submitted budget in order to meet payments after January 2026. 

Even if the Budget is defeated for the 2nd time , the ordinance permits her to endorse the budget in order to meet the Council payments in 2026. 

At the end of 2026, when the Budget proposals are submitted to Council for the year 2027, if that is defeated, the Mayor loses her right to continue and she has to resign and Council thereafter would elect a New Mayor.

• The Reality: For now, Mayor Balthazaar is staying put. But she is a Mayor without a mandate, leading a coalition that has clearly lost its appetite for her party’s financial vision.

The Practical Fallout: A City on Life Support

So, what happens to Colombo tomorrow morning? Does the garbage stop being collected? Do the streetlights go out?

• The Financial Freeze: Without an approved budget, the CMC cannot legally spend money on new projects. We are talking about the LKR 20 Billion usually earmarked for city maintenance. While “essential services” like sanitation and healthcare will keep ticking over on a month-to-month basis, everything else is in a deep freeze.
• The Political Paralysis: This defeat is a “Turning Point” because it exposes the fragility of the NPP’s grip. They don’t have an outright majority; they rely on a patchwork quilt of smaller parties and independents. Those partners just sent a message: The honeymoon is over.
• The Opposition’s Blood in the Water: The SJB and the remains of the UNP are smelling weakness. They’ve realized that if they stand together, they can paralyze the commercial capital. It’s a “mutiny” that could leave our capital city adrift right when we need it to be the engine of national recovery.

The Final Word

This isn’t just about a budget; it’s about the soul of Colombo. We have a Mayor who is an activist and a researcher, but she is now finding out that researching a problem and managing a 119-member council are two very different things.

We’ve seen what happens when the center doesn’t hold. Let’s hope Town Hall doesn’t become the next “Aragalaya” ground for political score-settling.

Mayor Balthazaar has 14 days to find her 60th vote. If she doesn’t, the “Budget of Conscience” will be remembered as the budget that broke the NPP’s momentum in the city. Colombo deserves a plan, not a pantomime. And frankly Vrai Balthazaar is a breadth of fresh air at the CMC. Colombo should ask the question – its a Big One: can they afford not to have Vrai as their Mayor.

I’m Faraz Shauketaly, Turning Point.