The National People’s Power (NPP) government of Sri Lanka, once seen as a revolutionary force, now faces waning support amid slow reforms, rising costs, and political fatigue. Is its popularity slipping or simply evolving?
When the National People’s Power (NPP) came to power in a wave of political disruption, it promised more than reform it promised renewal. Led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the NPP upended Sri Lanka’s post-independence political duopoly. Its victory was not just a mandate; it was a cry from the people for radical change an end to corruption, nepotism, and decades of economic mismanagement.
At the outset, public optimism soared. The NPP’s anti-corruption stance, plans for restructuring public institutions, and commitment to fiscal discipline impressed voters who had grown tired of theatrics and empty promises. The IMF-backed economic stabilization program, while austere, was accepted by many as a necessary step toward rebuilding a broken economy. In those first months, the NPP government was popular, purposeful, and poised.
But fast-forward to today, nine months into its term, and that revolutionary glow has started to dim.
Reality has proven more stubborn than rhetoric. Despite the President’s firm stance on state reform and good governance, bureaucratic inertia remains, and institutional resistance has slowed progress. Efforts to consolidate or dissolve ineffective state institutions have been met with fierce union opposition. Public dissatisfaction has also grown over increased utility bills and fuel prices painful but, according to the government, necessary for cost-reflective pricing.
These economic adjustments, while stabilizing on paper, haven’t translated into relief on the ground. Inflation has eased, but wages have stagnated. Youth unemployment remains high, and trust in institutions particularly the police, prison department, and immigration services has deteriorated due to persistent corruption scandals. The public, once willing to endure short-term pain for long-term gain, is now asking: “When will the benefits reach us?”
And yet, the NPP still retains pockets of strength.
Its refusal to politicize welfare schemes has impressed civil society. Its principled foreign policy resisting pressure from major powers has been seen as a rare show of sovereignty. In Parliament, NPP lawmakers continue to demonstrate sharp critique, discipline, and data-backed debate, often catching the traditional opposition off guard.
Still, popularity in politics isn’t earned by policies alone it’s shaped by perception. And the public perception today is complicated.
Urban progressives remain broadly supportive but are fatigued. In rural areas, where hope once bloomed that the NPP would empower the neglected majority, skepticism is creeping back in. A sense of nostalgia even for corrupt populists of the past is rising in some circles, simply because those regimes at least gave something tangible back, however unsustainable it was.
NPP is now no longer a disruptor it is the establishment. That shift requires more than moral clarity. It demands narrative skill, people-first politics, and empathy. It must now speak to hunger, joblessness, and household bills, not just macroeconomic indicators and institutional audits. The NPP must recalibrate its message to reconnect with the public mood.
Final Thought
The NPP’s story is far from over but its next chapter hinges on reconnecting with the people who elected it. If it cannot convert policy wins into real-world impact, it risks becoming a one-term phenomenon remembered more for what it symbolized than what it achieved. Popularity is no longer driven by protest votes; it must now be earned in governance.
The revolution may have been televised. Now, it must be felt in people’s lives.
