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.
April 21, 2025 – April 27, 2025 | Vol.15, #15 Events: From April 18 to April 27, 2025, a 10-day Sri Dalada Vandanawa – a special exposition of the sacred tooth relic – was held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in...
The foreign engagement strategy of the present government is seen as adopting an outward-facing approach, which also appears to have traction, at the moment, with a public that is more receptive to global engagement, particularly in the context of the ongoing economic crisis.
Both political parties and media commentary have positioned the LG elections as a national-level contest that could either affirm or challenge the NPP government’s mandate.
Sri Lanka’s recent political shift, through presidential and general elections, was driven by promises to displace the traditional political élite and to fight corruption. This has translated into greater public interest in reducing corruption. Despite strong public interest in corruption accountability, conflict accountability has not gained the same level of attention.
