Residents of Colombo Port City are unable to vote in local council elections despite being registered under Colombo District, raising concerns about fundamental rights violations according to a parliamentary oversight committee.

Port City residents face an unusual voting predicament that has drawn scrutiny from the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development. While these residents can participate in presidential and parliamentary elections as registered voters under Colombo District, they currently have no mechanism to cast ballots in local council elections, according to MP S.M. Marikkar, who chairs the oversight committee.

Marikkar raised the issue during recent discussions with government officials, characterizing the situation as a violation of citizens' fundamental rights. He suggested that creating a separate local council specifically for Port City could resolve the problem and ensure residents have proper representation at the local government level.

Government officials countered that a 2019 Gazette notification from the Minister of Internal and Home Affairs already designated Port City land as part of the Colombo Administrative District under the Administrative Districts Act. Officials maintained that this existing framework adequately addresses district-level representation concerns. However, Marikkar disputed this interpretation, noting that the Gazette provides for islandwide and district elections but fails to establish local authority representation for Port City residents.

The disagreement carries potential implications beyond administrative concerns. Marikkar warned that if unresolved, the matter could escalate to legal proceedings, which he cautioned might delay the Port City project itself. The committee discussion underscores a governance gap in how the special economic zone has been integrated into Sri Lanka's existing electoral and administrative structures.