u/Silly_Werewolf_7892

Why did people in Sri Lanka elect a party like the NPP/JVP into power, considering their history of opposing almost every government initiative through protests, strikes, and continuous criticism?

From my perspective, they rarely acknowledged any positive developments made by previous governments and instead focused heavily on corruption allegations and claims of theft, often without presenting clear proof to the public. Regardless of political opinions, I personally feel that during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term, there was significant visible development in the country despite the civil war and other challenges at the time.

I’m also confused and honestly frustrated about some of the party’s past actions, especially during 1988/89 and more recently during the COVID/economic crisis period. Sometimes it feels like their approach has always been more about disruption than solutions.

What I genuinely want to understand is: for those who voted for the NPP/JVP, what made you support them over someone like Ranil Wickremesinghe, who at least seemed to stabilize the country after the financial collapse?

This is not meant with any hate or bad intentions. I’m genuinely trying to understand the other side and see the bigger picture from different perspectives.

This is my 02 post regarding Sri Lankan politics btw so just need be educated and gets the facts straight

I’m not very educated in Sri Lankan politics, so correct me if I’m wrong — I’m just trying to get a clearer understanding of things because honestly, I’m confused as hell about where the country is heading and what the real options even are anymore.

Back in the day, Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) was followed very strongly by a large portion of the public. There were obvious reasons for that as well. He ended the civil war and also developed the country to some extent through major projects like ports, airports, stadiums, and other infrastructure. He served two terms before eventually losing the election.

After that, Maithripala Sirisena (MY3) got elected. From what I can remember, nothing major really happened during his term except for the Easter Sunday attacks, which eventually paved the way for Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) and the next government to come into power.

During GR’s term, the country faced major challenges such as COVID-19, along with several poor decisions taken early on — especially the fertilizer ban policy. During that period, the Aragalaya movement became very influential, and in my opinion the NPP/JVP used that situation politically to gain public support by giving people a lot of hope and promises.

I also remember how, during the peak of the economic crisis and Aragalaya period, there were campaigns encouraging Sri Lankans working abroad not to send dollars through official channels. In my view, that only made the foreign currency shortage worse at a time when the country desperately needed remittances. Despite all of that, many people still went on to support and elect the same political group because they believed the promises and messaging given during the campaign.

One thing I clearly remember is that many NPP supporters and politicians accused Kanchana Wijesekera and the previous government of keeping massive commissions or “cuts” from diesel and petrol pricing, claiming that fuel prices were unnecessarily high because of corruption. However, after coming into power, they still haven’t publicly proven many of those allegations with solid evidence. Fuel prices also did not drastically reduce in the way many people expected after the election.

Now the explanations being given are mostly related to global oil prices, exchange rates, debt repayments, taxes, and the actual cost of importing and distributing fuel — which are basically the same kinds of reasons the previous government also gave when defending high fuel prices. That is one of the main reasons why many people feel frustrated or feel that the narrative changed after the election.

As someone who does freelance work for foreign clients, another thing that frustrates me is the increase in taxes affecting people earning independently from abroad. I honestly don’t mind paying taxes if the country is providing proper infrastructure and services in return. But right now, it doesn’t really feel that way for many people.

There are still random power cuts, unstable internet connections in some areas, and overall infrastructure limitations that directly affect people working online. On top of that, vehicle taxes are so extreme that even owning something like a Corolla feels like a luxury item. People are effectively paying 300–400% more because of import duties and taxes.

Energy prices also continue to increase, yet the explanations given to the public often feel unclear or inconsistent. At the same time, even people trying to move toward solar energy solutions face restrictions or limitations, with authorities saying the national grid cannot properly handle more solar integration. From the public’s perspective, it feels like people are paying more and more while still being limited in finding their own alternatives.

Another issue that concerns me is the lack of transparency regarding certain incidents and financial losses. For example, cases involving large missing payments, cyberattack claims, or issues like the postal service losses often seem to be brushed aside with explanations like “it was a hacker” without the public ever getting a clear and satisfying explanation or accountability.

What I still don’t understand is that even today, they haven’t really proven many of the major corruption allegations they repeatedly used during their campaign against the Rajapaksas. At the same time, many of the promises they made during the election — such as tax relief, reduced bills, and other economic benefits — also don’t seem to have been delivered the way people expected.

From my perspective, this government has ended up doing many of the same things they strongly criticized before the election. What frustrates me even more is that when questioned about those issues, they sometimes act as if they never even made those statements in the first place.

At the same time, I don’t think every politician in every government was completely useless either. For example, during GR’s term, I personally felt that Kanchana Wijesekera, who handled the energy sector, did a very good job under difficult circumstances. Similarly, in the current government, I think Bimal Rathnayake, who is involved with the transport sector, also appears to be doing a decent job. Other than that, I honestly don’t know enough about what the rest are doing.

Another thing I struggle with is the history of the JVP. Even though they now operate under the NPP banner, to me it still feels like the same core political group rebranded and returned to power.

What confuses me the most is that people now defend the current government in almost everything they do — just like many people blindly defended MR and his government back in the day. It feels like Sri Lankan politics keeps repeating the same cycle where supporters become emotionally attached to parties or leaders and refuse to criticize them fairly once they come into power.

That’s why I genuinely don’t know what the right option is for the next election anymore. Every side points fingers at the others before elections, promises massive change, and then once they get power, many of the same problems, excuses, and behaviors continue.

Overall, I’m not trying to defend or attack any single side blindly — I’m just trying to understand why every government seems to disappoint people after coming into power, regardless of the promises they make before elections.

I did use ai to type this whole thing since i didnt feel like typing it pls dont ban me or remove this post i really need to get a clear idea abt things
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What were you reasons for voting npp/jvp

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What even the point of electing governments at this point