The National People’s Power (NPP) is one of the strongest governments the country has ever witnessed. With 159 seats in Parliament, it secured a decisive two-thirds majority, making it the dominant political force.
However, that victory is now old news. The public is eagerly waiting to see whether the NPP will fulfill the promises that led to its landslide win.
It is evident that the NPP government has lost a significant portion of its support and is currently experiencing a decline in popularity. In politics, it is natural for any government to face diminishing public approval over time. However, the NPP is still relatively new, having been in power for only a few months. Yet, it has already shown worrying signs—making unwise decisions and failing to deliver on its commitments.
In the years leading up to its victory, the NPP pledged to create a corruption-free country and take swift action against fraud. Some of its members even claimed they would not hesitate to hold their own accountable if they were found to be corrupt or had misled voters.
With this promise, the NPP assured the public that it would introduce a new political culture. It urged citizens to vote for them, vowing to field candidates with strong educational backgrounds and unblemished records. Simultaneously, the NPP criticized other political parties and politicians for their involvement in corruption and for misleading the public. This campaign created a national discourse about the need to clean up Parliament and elect well-educated individuals. The movement was reminiscent of the 2020 ‘Viyath Maga’ campaign, which ultimately failed disastrously.
Amid these pledges and political rhetoric, the NPP won the 2024 General Election, giving millions of people hope for a fresh start. However, that hope was short-lived. The newly elected Speaker of Parliament, Ashoka Ranwala, quickly became a symbol of the hypocrisy that lay beneath the NPP’s promises.
Upon his election as Speaker, Ranwala claimed to hold a PhD and assured the public that his academic background would bring a new culture to Parliament. However, the opposition soon questioned the authenticity of his qualifications and demanded proof of his doctoral degree. Initially, the NPP and its supporters defended him, asserting that he had completed his PhD in Japan and would provide the necessary documentation.
Yet, days passed, and Ranwala eventually resigned as Speaker without offering any justifiable explanation or presenting his academic credentials. Months later, he has still not provided any clarification or evidence of his claimed qualifications.
In Sri Lanka’s democratic system, educational qualifications are not a requirement to become a Member of Parliament or even the Speaker. However, the irony lies in the NPP’s own promises. Their pledge to change the political culture has backfired far sooner than expected.
As someone who believes in democratic governance, I acknowledge Ranwala’s right to be elected as a Member of Parliament and even as Speaker. However, the NPP’s promises now raise a critical question: Were their pledges just another set of empty political slogans? If so, they have failed the public and are on the path to becoming yet another government perpetuating the ‘seven-decade curse’ they vowed to end.
I would like to ask the NPP: Where is the promise that they would take action against their own members if they were found to be frauds? Or does their supposed commitment to integrity not apply when it involves one of their own?
Furthermore, what action has the NPP taken against Ranwala for misrepresenting his credentials? Is it too much to ask the party to hold him accountable or at least push him to provide an explanation?
The NPP’s first major test has been a complete failure. They have either chosen to turn a blind eye or assume that the public, burdened by economic hardships, will eventually forget.
Either way, the NPP is losing its popularity faster than any government before it, proving that they are far better at making promises than keeping them.
