President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is preparing nationwide rallies amid declining approval ratings, reigniting debate over the use of public funds for political activities—a practice the JVP-NPP government had pledged to curtail.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to undertake a series of rallies across Sri Lanka as part of an organizational drive by the JVP/NPP, according to media reports. The campaign follows a decline in the government's public approval ratings and may also be testing public sentiment ahead of a potential constitutional referendum on the proposed 22nd Amendment. Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has challenged opposition politicians to mobilize public demonstrations against the government if they are capable of doing so.
The planned tour has drawn scrutiny regarding the substantial public expenditure involved in presidential travel and security. Presidential movements require extensive security deployments involving hundreds of police and armed forces personnel, numerous vehicles, and helicopter travel. Cabinet ministers and opposition leaders similarly incur significant state-funded travel costs when accompanying or independently conducting their activities. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe faced legal action over allegations of misusing state funds for travel and security expenses during what authorities described as a private visit to the United Kingdom.
The current situation highlights a contradiction between the JVP-NPP's pre-election commitments and their current conduct. Prior to the 2024 general election, party leaders pledged to practice fiscal austerity, promising that MPs and ministers would use public transportation and that government vehicles would be auctioned. They also drew comparisons to Uruguay's former President José Mujica, known for his austere lifestyle and refusal of presidential privileges. However, the incumbent government has continued using luxury vehicles, including potentially the bulletproof vehicles that Dissanayake himself criticized in 2018 when former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe procured them at Rs. 300 million each.
The editorial position notes that successive governments have been criticized for dressing political campaigns as official events to justify public expenditure. While some officials have attempted to offset costs by paying for fuel separately, such measures cover only a fraction of the actual expenses borne by taxpayers. The issue remains unresolved despite promises of systematic reform.
