The government has decided to postpone the demolition of shanties in Colombo until after the Colombo Municipal Council elections. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had decided to demolish all shanties within the Colombo city limit under the Colombo beautification programme. However, several Colombo District MPs and ministers have asked the President during a special meeting on the CMC at Temple Trees to temporarily put a stop to the

Defence Secretary’s Colombo beautification programme until the end of the elections.
They have said the demolition of shanties in Colombo would otherwise have an adverse impact on the government at the CMC election on October 8th.

Following the discussion, the President has asked the Presidential Media Unit to launch a media campaign saying there was no plan to evict shanty dwellers in Colombo.