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Court verdict on former minister and high official in the carrom board case fostered public approval of the government, reinforcing perceptions of the government as acting against corruption. Attempts to appoint a perceived close associate of the president to the position of auditor general generated concerns of nepotism/favouritism and reduced public approval of the government and its credibility on ‘system change’.

President Dissanayake’s presence and words on Remembrance Day sent mixed signals. He was interpreted as trying to balance appeasing the Sinhala Buddhist majority while distancing himself from the Sinhala-nationalist rhetoric of the past. This dual stance seems to have drawn criticism from both sides, and made his moral leadership look relatively weak and lacking in clear direction.

The unavailability of salt goes beyond a mere economic inconvenience; it has symbolic impact: it positions the government as unable to ensure the flow of even the most basic essentials for households.