February 24, 2025 – March 2, 2025 | Vol.15, #09
Issue: Over the past three weeks, the Sinhala media focused on several issues including, but not limited to, the following:
On February 9, Sri Lanka experienced an island-wide electricity disruption.[1][2] The Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody stated that a monkey had come into contact with the power grid and caused an imbalance in the system.[3][4] On February 18, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) released a statement identifying the cause of the power outage as high solar photovoltaic penetration and the system’s low inertia.[5][6]
On February 20, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) disclosed possible procurement-related irregularities and mismanagement of funds within the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) and its affiliated bodies. [7][8] Similarly, COPE raised concerns regarding mismanagement and irregularities concerning the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB).[9][10]
On February 21, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. Subsequently, the chief prelates of the Asgiriya and the Malwathu chapters and the Diyawadana Nilame (lay custodian) of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic accepted Dissanayake’s request for an exposition of the tooth relic to the public in April.[11][12]
On February 28, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya claimed that Dissanayake’s official foreign trip expenses were significantly lower than those of former presidents.[13][14]
Key insights: Mainstream media and social media continued to diverge in their assessment of the NPP government on various issues....