-By Political Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -03.April.2025, 11.00 PM) Fresh off their presidential and parliamentary victories, the NPP is now eyeing local councils and mayoral elections. Because, hey, when you’re on a winning streak, why stop at the national level? Might as well take over every town hall, municipal council, and possibly your neighborhood WhatsApp group.
The NPP’s rise to power has been fueled by their promise to run the country on minimum luxury—a concept so unfamiliar to past governments that former politicians are still in shock. No more fleets of luxury SUVs, no more multi-million rupee office renovations, and no more treating the presidential budget like a Black Friday shopping spree.
Instead, the NPP is championing economic democracy—a fancy way of saying that everyone should have a fair shot at doing business. Want to open a factory? Go ahead. Thinking of investing in a new startup? No problem. Hoping to do all that without paying a “special fee” to a well-connected politician? Now that’s the real game-changer.
Gone are the days when launching a business in Sri Lanka required more bribes than a Bollywood heist movie. Under the NPP, the economy is supposedly open to all—whether you’re a struggling entrepreneur or even, gasp, a member of the Rajapaksa family. (Though to be fair, they might need to fill out a few extra forms first.)
Of course, the NPP’s path to dominance has been helped immensely by their predecessors’ creative financial management. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who briefly moonlighted as Sri Lanka’s economic savior, is now the subject of more corruption investigations than a Colombo casino owner.
For example, take the now-infamous Nuwara Eliya roadshow. On paper, it was meant to promote Sri Lanka to international visitors. In reality, it was an expensive sightseeing tour featuring helicopter rides, luxury hotel stays, and more security vehicles than a Fast & Furious movie. Billions were spent, and the only real return on investment seems to be a collection of Ranil’s travel selfies.
Then there’s the curious case of Ranil’s London trip. Officially, it was a government-sanctioned visit. Unofficially, it was a taxpayer-funded holiday with his academic wife. Because apparently, discussing global economic policies over high tea at The Ritz is an essential government function.
And let’s not forget Ruwan Wijewardena—media mogul, presidential advisor, limate change advisor, who never learn about any acadamic courses on Climate change issues, other than just managed to measure the leaking water bucket and unprofessional conference attendee. Whether it’s climate change summits or international economic forums, he was always there, presumably helping Ranil perfect his PowerPoint presentations. His influence remains a topic of national concern—mostly because no one is quite sure what he actually does.
With all these corruption scandals unfolding, the NPP has an easy job when it comes to campaign strategy. Their message? “We’re not them.”
So far, it’s working. By keeping their image clean and their wallets relatively untouched, the NPP is maintaining its credibility—an asset more valuable than a Swiss bank account full of “mystery” funds.
Their plan to sweep the local elections revolves around a few key tactics:
Grassroots Mobilization – NPP’s ground-level supporters are working overtime to remind people that corruption-free governance is possible (a concept still shocking to some).
Transparency – Unlike previous governments that treated public funds like Monopoly money, the NPP is making sure every rupee spent is accounted for. (Well, at least most rupees.)
The "Past vs. Future" Narrative – Their best strategy? Simply pointing at the previous government and saying, “Do you really want to go back to that?”
With their credibility still intact, a strong grassroots presence, and the ghost of past corruption scandals haunting their opponents, the NPP is in a solid position to dominate the local elections.
That said, this is Sri Lankan politics—where anything can happen, and usually does. Will the NPP maintain its clean image? Will Ranil’s London vacation bills continue to surface? And most importantly, will any politician finally admit that maybe spending taxpayer money on private helicopter rides isn’t strictly necessary?
Only time will tell. Until then, buckle up—because Sri Lanka’s political circus is far from over.
-By Political Correspondent
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by (2025-04-03 19:32:10)
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