Former Galle Mayor and newly appointed Deputy Mayor of Galle, Priyantha Sahabandu, has firmly denied any association with the National People’s Power (NPP), stating that certain Opposition councillors are trying to frame him for something he did not do.

Addressing a press conference in Galle, Sahabandu said, “I have never violated party discipline in any way. This is a situation that arose during a vote. I have never worked against the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). I have always acted as a public representative of the SLPP. Our leader is Namal Rajapaksa, and I continue to work with him politically.”

Sahabandu emphasised that the party affiliation of the newly elected Mayor of the Galle Municipal Council was not important to him and his focus was on serving the people of Galle. “All 38 councillors have a responsibility to deliver essential services to the citizens of Galle,” he said.

Clarifying the events that led to his appointment as Deputy Mayor, Sahabandu said the SLPP had made preparations to support the election of a Mayor and Deputy Mayor as per the party’s instructions. However, the Provincial LG Commissioner called for a secret ballot, although the SLPP had requested an open vote.

“Some Opposition members secretly voted and then tried to shift the blame on us. They pinned the fault on myself and other councillors and walked out of the Council,” he claimed.

As a result of the secret ballot, the NPP candidate was elected as Mayor. During the vote to elect a Deputy Mayor, the Opposition members did not participate. “I never aspired to become Deputy Mayor. My fellow councillor proposed my name and confirmed it. I was elected according to the standard procedure. This situation emerged due to sudden developments in the Council,” he said.

Sahabandu also confirmed that his party membership has been suspended. “The party has the right to make such decisions, and we are not in a position to comment on it at this time,” he added.