January 20, 2025 – January 26, 2025 | Vol.15, #04
Event: The Sinhala media coverage focused on several key events in its analysis of the government’s ongoing actions, including the following:
On January 19, speaking at a public rally in Katukurunda, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government will reclaim all official residences provided to former presidents.[1][2][3]
On January 21, Dissanayake appeared in the Satana political programme hosted by Sirasa TV and spoke on various topics, including the allocation of vehicles for ministers and the delays in investigating emblematic cases of corruption and murder.[4][5][6]
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Key insights
- The government’s performance continued to come under closer scrutiny in the media.
- The mainstream media was more critical of the government, whereas the social media commentary was more supportive of the government.
- The government drew criticism for lacking coherent messaging. It now appears not only to be in learner mode but also to be giving excuses for non-delivery on expectations.
- The Sinhala media’s admiration for Trump’s decisive delivery resonates with the currency in Sri Lanka for a strong leader capable of delivering on public expectations.
Analysis
Over the past week, Sinhala media — including print, television and social media — has continued to scrutinise the performance of the president and the NPP government. The previous issue of MPA, which analysed the president’s first 100 days in office, highlighted an amplification of the critical discourse on the government in the majority of the Sinhala mainstream media.[1]
A closer analysis of last week’s media landscape highlights a clear distinction between mainstream media coverage (press and TV) and social media commentary.
Mainstream media continued to promote a critical discourse on the government. For instance, Mawbima, which previously supported the government, now appears to be critical of it, while Lankadeepa, which was largely in support of the government, transitioned to providing issue-based, qualified support and criticism.
By contrast, social media commentary, analysed using data from Junkipedia, showed that they were mostly in support of the government, especially on the president’s position on reducing the privileges afforded to former presidents.[2]
A closer reading of the Sinhala media discourse positions the NPP government’s messaging as losing momentum.
Three negative framings can be discerned from the media discourse on the performance of the NPP government:
1. A government stuck in the Opposition’s body
Critical voices cast the NPP government as functioning more as an opposition party, articulating and analysing problems, rather than acting fast enough to resolve them.
In the past, the NPP was widely regarded as a credible opposition force capable of holding past governments accountable. It was seen as a ‘genuine’ alternative to other political parties, including the SLPP, SJB and UNP.[3] The NPP’s ability to highlight issues with past governments bolstered its campaign ahead of the 2024 Presidential and General Elections.
However, the public appears to be less impressed by the NPP government’s tendency to merely articulate problems instead of providing solutions. The president’s recent remarks in the Satana programme about missing documents delaying investigations into Wasim Thajudeen’s case and the challenges of repatriating Arjuna Mahendran concerning the 2015 Central Bank bond scam appear to no longer resonate with or impress the public.[4]
2. A government lacking coherent positions
Over the past week, Sinhala media coverage highlighted growing concern regarding the government’s lack of coherent messaging. Various NPP politicians seemed to present contradictory positions on a specific issue.
Popular memes (please refer to memes published in this issue of MPA) highlighted how President Dissanayake, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Fernando were said to have made three contrasting statements regarding the changes to vehicle prices.
Similarly, the president’s statement during the Satana programme, emphasising that ministers would be provided with only one vehicle, was contradicted on the same day by a circular issued by the presidential secretariat stating that ministers can utilise up to two vehicles.[5]
3. A government focused on performing instead of delivering
Critical voices framed the government as engaging in performance instead of delivering on its promises. They were highly critical of President Dissanayake’s statement on the residence provided to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, portraying it as a performance by the government to divert attention from pressing issues such as the shortage of rice. However, social media commentary largely echoed the president’s position on the need to reduce government expenditure on maintaining the residences of former presidents.
***
Overall, the NPP government, analysed in the previous issue of MPA as being in a learner mode trying to find its footing, now appears to be providing excuses for non-delivery of its promises.[6]
[1] For more information, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq2ZBOXEoyY, https://www.themorning.lk/articles/doDgImJqnPbLO1ipask0 and https://www.newsfirst.lk/2025/01/22/sri-lanka-s-president-vows-justice-for-long-standing-crimes.
[2] The MPA team monitored Facebook profiles, TikTok handles and YouTube channels using Junkipedia for the keywords electricity, corruption, NPP, vehicles, coconut, rice, Mahinda, Yoshitha and Priyadarshana. The monitoring period was January 20 to 24, 2025.
[3] See TMA Vol.10, #25.
[4] For more information, see: https://www.dailymirror.lk/amp/breaking-news/President-hints-at-positive-development-on-Easter-Sunday-probe/108-300672 and https://english.newsfirst.lk/2025/01/22/sri-lanka-s-president-vows-justice-for-long-standing-crimes.
[5] For more information, see: https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=105192 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq2ZBOXEoyY.
[6] See MPA Vol.15, #02 & 03.
To view this week’s news summaries, please click here
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