The renewed conflict between Iran and Israel appears to be raising fears about potential negative repercussions for Sri Lanka’s economy, particularly bringing to mind memories of past economic hardships.
The ‘unlawful’ release of prisoners by prison officials further underscores concerns about the NPP government’s lack of control over state institutions, adding to the doubts about its ability to fulfil its pledge of systemic change.
The NPP government seems to be becoming an ‘ordinary government’, struggling to exert control over the state sector and focusing more on continuity than on implementing significant policy changes.
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.
An analysis of the Sinhala media discourse suggests that the election result was perceived as an evaluation of the NPP government’s performance since the general election, with the outcome treated as a barometer of public approval of the government.
The death of Amshika evoked anger towards the government, not because of the event itself, but because the government seemed more focused on defending its conduct than on proactively seeking solutions with regard to the delays in pursuing justice for Amshika. The NPP also faced criticism in the recent past for its delayed response in arresting Deshabandu Tennakoon.
A narrative gaining momentum is that the government has misled the public, particularly by making promises that it did not intend to keep, and by backtracking on its commitments. This criticism has been amplified by the use of the Sinhala term පච/පචයා (pacha/pachaya – trans. a derogatory way of referring to the telling of lies; please refer to the memes published in this week’s issue).
The Sri Lankan police is widely and increasingly seen as an institution operating extra-judicially and without accountability. The recent spate of custodial deaths has heightened the perception that law enforcement institutions are operating outside of the law.
