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NGO Politics in Sri Lanka pp 63–91Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Local Development, People’s Participation and Local Politics

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Abstract

The chapter outlines the complexities of local development , people’s participation and the influences of national and provincial politics on local government by examining the views of political representatives , administrative officials , NGO officials and the representatives of the community-based organisations in Sri Lanka. The ways in which central government and local government define development were shown to differ. When central government promotes large-scale development at one end, at the other end some local governments tended to identify small-scale, local-level development as being more important and effective. From the local perspective, development, which is locally-led and community-oriented, stresses the importance of human resources over physical infrastructure . To address the local development needs, local government should encourage people’s participation in local policy processes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Kularatne, “Community Development in Sri Lanka,” 2.

  2. 2.

    Amarathunge et al., “Conflict of Development.”

  3. 3.

    Kleymeyer, Cultural Expression, 4–6.

  4. 4.

    Pradeshiya Sabhas Act No. 15 of 1987.

  5. 5.

    Leitan, “The Role of Local Government,” Governance, 51.

  6. 6.

    Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Local Government Reforms 1999, 27, 39.

  7. 7.

    Ibid., 39.

  8. 8.

    The 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka—1978.

  9. 9.

    Provision is made for a provincial public service in each province while the powers of recruitment, promotion and disciplinary control of officers within such service are vested in the provincial governor. A provincial public service commission is also to function in each province, to which the governor is able to delegate these powers (Provincial Councils Act, No. 42 of 1987, 12–13).

  10. 10.

    Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Local Government Reforms 1999, 21.

  11. 11.

    In the free trade zone areas the local government functions are attended to by the Board of Investment (BoI) of Sri Lanka (ibid., 22).

  12. 12.

    United Nations ESCAP, “Country Paper: Sri Lanka”.

  13. 13.

    See Municipal Councils Ordinance, Urban Councils Ordinance and Pradeshiya Sabhas Act.

  14. 14.

    United Nations ESCAP, “Country Paper: Sri Lanka”.

  15. 15.

    Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Local Government Reforms 1999, 30–31.

  16. 16.

    Ibid., 31.

  17. 17.

    Leitan, “The Role of Local Government,” Governance, 51–52.

  18. 18.

    Leitan, “Sri Lanka’s Institutions of Local Governance,” Governance, 85.

  19. 19.

    Hettige, “Local Democracy,” 429.

  20. 20.

    Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Local Government Reforms 1999, 138.

  21. 21.

    Grama Niladhari (GN) division is the lowest level administrative division, and the ward is the lowest level political division in Sri Lanka.

  22. 22.

    Hambantota Urban Council, Budget Report—2011, 1.

  23. 23.

    These include construction projects such as the new Galle central bus stand, a fish market, other buildings, and the reconstruction of roads, the erection of street lights and many other utilities.

  24. 24.

    Respondent: Mr. Methsiri De Silva, Mayor (UPFA), Galle Municipal Council.

  25. 25.

    Galle Municipal Council, Budget Report—2011, 1–6.

  26. 26.

    Weligama Urban Council, Budget Report—2011, i–vii.

  27. 27.

    ACDI-CIDA, “Tsunami Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programme”.

  28. 28.

    Ibid.

  29. 29.

    The Sunday Leader, “Why Hambantota?”.

  30. 30.

    Ministry of Finance and Planning, Budget Speech—2013, 14–15.

  31. 31.

    Ibid., 36–38.

  32. 32.

    Hambantota Urban Council, Hambantota Urban Council Area Details—2008–2009, 4.

  33. 33.

    Respondent: Mr. Nandasiri Ranathunga, Chairman (UPFA), Suriyawewa Pradeshiya Sabha.

  34. 34.

    Respondent: Mr. Manjula Liyanage, Representative (UNP), Baddegama Pradeshiya Sabha.

  35. 35.

    Respondent: Mr. George Pillai, Deputy Mayor (UPFA), Batticaloa Municipal Council.

  36. 36.

    Batticaloa Municipal Council, Budget Report—2011, vi.

  37. 37.

    Ibid., viii.

  38. 38.

    Respondent: Mr. K. Selvarajah, Chairman (TNA), Trincomalee Urban Council.

  39. 39.

    Respondents: Mr. N. Noormohamad, Representative (UPFA), Trincomalee Urban Council and Mr. S. Sanoon, Representative (UNP), Trincomalee Urban Council.

  40. 40.

    Respondent: Mr. S.L.M. Jawadullah, Chairman (UPFA), Kinniya Pradeshiya Sabha.

  41. 41.

    MP M.A. Sumanthiran represents Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

  42. 42.

    Sumanthiran, Situation in North-Eastern Sri Lanka.

  43. 43.

    Ibid.

  44. 44.

    Ibid.

  45. 45.

    Respondent: Mr. Rassaiya Chandrasena, Chairman (UNP), Lahugala Pradeshiya Sabha.

  46. 46.

    Sumanthiran, Situation in North-Eastern Sri Lanka.

  47. 47.

    Ibid.

  48. 48.

    Respondent: Rev. Panama Chandarathana Thero, the Chief Priest of Panama Buddhist temple, the Principal of the Panama school, and the Leader of the movement to protect Panampaththuwa.

  49. 49.

    Sumanthiran, Situation in North-Eastern Sri Lanka.

  50. 50.

    Ibid.

  51. 51.

    Respondent: Mr. Rassaiya Chandrasena, Chairman (UNP), Lahugala Pradeshiya Sabha.

  52. 52.

    Sisk, Democracy at the Local Level, 1.

  53. 53.

    Ibid.

  54. 54.

    Respondent: Mr. D.A. Gamini, Opposition Leader (UNP), Hambantota Urban Council.

  55. 55.

    Respondent: Mr. Nandasiri Ranathunga, Chairman (UPFA), Suriyawewa Pradeshiya Sabha.

  56. 56.

    Respondent: Mr. Anura Amarasiri Narangoda, Chairman (UPFA), Baddegama Pradeshiya Sabha.

  57. 57.

    Respondent: Ms. K.H. Thakshila Damayanthi, Representative (UPFA), Weligama Urban Council.

  58. 58.

    ACDI-CIDA, “Tsunami Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programme”.

  59. 59.

    Respondent: Mr. Upul Nishantha, former Mayor, Matara Municipal Council.

  60. 60.

    Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities, “CIVICUS Complete Report”.

  61. 61.

    The literal meaning of the word Shramadana is sharing of one’s time, thought and energy for the welfare of all. In short, Shramadana means a gift of labour.

  62. 62.

    Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities, “CIVICUS Complete Report”.

  63. 63.

    Ibid.

  64. 64.

    Kattankudy Urban Council, Budget Report—2011, 2.

  65. 65.

    Ibid., 1.

  66. 66.

    Ibid., 13–15.

  67. 67.

    Kinniya Pradeshiya Sabha, Budget Report—2011, 1.

  68. 68.

    See Beetham and Boyle, Democracy.

  69. 69.

    Bigdon and Hettige, “Key Issues of Good Local Governance,” 95.

  70. 70.

    Lankika, “CA Refuses Order against Matara Mayor”.

  71. 71.

    Ibid.

  72. 72.

    Ibid. Colombo Page, “Court Issues Order Suspending”.

  73. 73.

    Ada Derana, “Matara Mayor Resigns”.

  74. 74.

    Respondents: Mr. Nimalchandra Ranasinghe, Representative (UNP), Galle Municipal Council and Mr. Jayantha Pathirana, Representative (JVP) Matara Municipal Council.

  75. 75.

    Ibid.

  76. 76.

    The committees are called standing committees in municipal councils whilst in urban councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas they are called committees (Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Local Government Reforms 1999, 63–64).

  77. 77.

    United Nations ESCAP, “Country Paper: Sri Lanka”.

  78. 78.

    Respondent: Mr. Jayantha Pathirana, Representative (JVP) Matara Municipal Council.

  79. 79.

    Ibid.

  80. 80.

    Respondent: Mr. Manjula Liyanage, Representative (UNP), Baddegama Pradeshiya Sabha.

  81. 81.

    Respondent: Rev. Baddegama Samitha Thero, Representative (UPFA), Southern Provincial Council.

  82. 82.

    Respondents: Mr. K. Selvarajah, Chairman (TNA), Trincomalee Urban Council and Mr. S. Sanoon, Representative (UNP), Trincomalee Urban Council.

  83. 83.

    Respondent: Mr. N. Noormohamad, Representative (UPFA), Trincomalee Urban Council.

  84. 84.

    Sumanthiran, Issues and Problems Facing People.

  85. 85.

    Respondent: Mr. J.S.D.M. Ravin Niroshan Kumara, Opposition Leader and former Chairman (UPFA), Lahugala Pradeshiya Sabha.

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  1. University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka

    Indi Ruwangi Akurugoda

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Akurugoda, I.R. (2018). Local Development, People’s Participation and Local Politics. In: NGO Politics in Sri Lanka. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58586-4_4

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