By Asoka S. Seneviratne –

“When a government governs with integrity, the opposition can only survive on lies — and even lies eventually collapse under the weight of truth.”

The opposition—both within and outside Parliament—remains united by a single, obsessive goal: to discredit, destabilize, and, if possible, topple the legally elected government. In pursuit of this ambition, they organize frequent protests, marches, and rallies across the country. Their latest attempt, the so-called “Voice of the People” (Mahajana Handa) scheduled for 21 November 2025, is presented as a mass uprising against government policies.

But the symbolism behind this date reveals their real intention. It was chosen to echo the “Mahinda Sulanga” rally of 2015, which was then a decisive moment of political momentum and change. Yet, the political and economic environment of 2025 is entirely different. In 2015, the opposition rode a genuine wave of public anger, economic frustration, and internal fractures within the government. That momentum no longer exists.

Today, the opposition finds itself in a desert of political relevance, armed only with slogans that no longer inspire and narratives that no longer convince. Their weapons—once sharp—are now blunted. Their credibility, once a currency, has been completely devalued.

What remains is desperation disguised as activism.

1. The High Cost of Living: A Narrative Exhausted

The opposition’s favorite and most repeated slogan is the “high cost of living.” It is their supposed trump card—a talking point they hope will resonate across households. Yet, the people are not easily deceived.

When this government assumed power, Sri Lanka was in ruins. Inflation had skyrocketed beyond 70%, the rupee was collapsing daily, the Central Bank was on life support, and reserves were nearly gone. In short, the country had been bankrupted by the very forces that now shout the loudest about “economic hardship.”

Under this government’s leadership, the economy has stabilized through tough, disciplined policies—fiscal consolidation, targeted welfare reforms, and transparent state enterprise restructuring. Inflation has been dragged down from 70% to around 5.5%, while the exchange rate and reserves have regained credibility.

The government has been honest with the public: these reforms are not easy, but they are necessary. The people understand that temporary sacrifices are the price of long-term recovery. For the first time in decades, Sri Lankans are seeing stability rather than chaos, discipline rather than political gimmicks, and competence rather than corruption.

Hence, the “cost of living” slogan has lost its sting. It is no longer an indictment of government failure—it is evidence of recovery. It reminds citizens not of current suffering, but of the economic collapse inherited from those who now pretend to care.

The opposition’s criticism collapses before complex data. The cost-of-living argument, once powerful, is now a broken record echoing their own economic mismanagement.

2. The Hypocrisy of Corruption Allegations

Accusing others of corruption has become the opposition’s ritual defense mechanism. Yet, no political charge has backfired more spectacularly.

For over seventy-five years, Sri Lanka’s political and bureaucratic elite, led by these very opposition forces, institutionalized corruption. They transformed public service into personal enterprise, enriched their families through state contracts, and used power as a tool of private accumulation.

Today, those same individuals—many facing active investigations or court cases—attempt to paint themselves as champions of transparency. Their speeches about “accountability” are not moral arguments but survival tactics.

The irony is bitter. The public remembers the era when corruption reached industrial scale—where national assets were sold for commissions, public projects became private fiefdoms, and debt piled up to fund personal empires.

By contrast, the current government’s record is one of transparency and clean process. Development projects are conducted openly, with procurement audits and parliamentary oversight. Even large infrastructure initiatives—those dismissed by the opposition as “road shows”—are designed with national benefit, not personal enrichment, in mind.

When those with decades of proven corruption accuse others, the public rightly laughs. The opposition’s outrage is not moral conviction—it is moral bankruptcy dressed in political theatre.

3. Fabricated Claims of Oppression

The third tool in the opposition’s arsenal is the claim that the government is “oppressive”—that it seeks to silence dissent and dismantle democracy. This accusation is both intellectually dishonest and historically absurd.

If there is one political camp in Sri Lanka that perfected the art of oppression, it is the current opposition. The historical record speaks clearly. Under JR. Jayewardene, opposition parties were crushed, trade unions were dismantled, and the 1983 pogroms were unleashed under the cover of state complicity. Under Chandrika Bandaranaike and Mahinda Rajapaksa, enforced disappearances, media assassinations, and unlawful detentions became the norm. Even Ranil Wickremesinghe’s years were marked by political witch-hunts and repression.

Those who orchestrated decades of true state terror now cry “oppression” because they are finally being held accountable under the law. What the opposition calls oppression is in fact the impartial application of justice—an unfamiliar experience for those who once lived above it.

The government has consistently upheld due process, judicial independence, and media freedom. Law enforcement acts under the rule of law, not under political orders. The public knows this difference.

Thus, the narrative of “oppression” is nothing more than a desperate shield for those fearing accountability. They mistake lawful justice for persecution and interpret the end of impunity as tyranny. But the citizens of Sri Lanka see through their dramatics.

4. The Core Truth: Fear of Accountability

Behind the slogans, marches, and fiery rhetoric lies the real reason for the opposition’s panic: fear of accountability.

For the first time in decades, the machinery of justice is functioning. Politicians and businessmen long considered untouchable are being investigated for fraud, tax evasion, narcotics links, and money laundering. Institutions like the Bribery Commission, CID, and FIU have been strengthened, depoliticized, and empowered to act.

This has rattled the old political establishment. Those who lived for years under the illusion of immunity now find themselves under the microscope of justice.

The “Voice of the People” rally is not a cry for freedom—it is a cry of fear. They know that the government’s anti-corruption drive is closing in, that ill-gotten assets are being traced, and that courtrooms, not rallies, await them.

They attempt to turn this fear into political energy by manufacturing narratives of “dictatorship” and “repression.” But the truth is unmistakable: what they fear is not political oppression but criminal prosecution.

The people of Sri Lanka understand that accountability is not oppression—it is liberation from decades of corruption, impunity, and abuse of power.

5. Naked Ambition: Restoring Lost Wealth and Power

Strip away the rhetoric, and the opposition’s ultimate motive stands exposed: the restoration of lost power and privilege.

Their politics is not a crusade for democracy, governance, or national renewal—it is a battle for personal survival and financial restoration. They seek to re-enter the corridors of power not to serve the nation, but to reopen the treasury of opportunities that sustained their political empires.

Every accusation, every protest, and every speech they deliver has one hidden agenda—to rebuild the system of political patronage and corruption that once made them rich. Their dream is not to rescue the people but to rescue their own fortunes.

The public, however, has matured. The collective memory of economic collapse, corruption, and elite manipulation remains vivid. Sri Lankans have experienced the difference between reform and rhetoric, and they know the cost of returning to the old order.

The opposition’s campaign, therefore, is not a movement of people—it is a movement of politicians chasing lost privilege. It is not a moral uprising—it is a financial one. Their “voice” represents not the nation, but the echo of their fading relevance.

Conclusion

In the final analysis, the opposition’s strategy rests on four crumbling pillars:

1. A high cost of living narrative that has been rendered irrelevant by tangible economic recovery.

2. Corruption allegations that boomerang back to expose their own decades-long record of theft and abuse.

3. Fabricated claims of oppression that collapse before the truth of due process and lawful governance.

4. A deep fear of accountability, masked by noisy rallies and exaggerated rhetoric.

Beneath these lies a fifth and most revealing pillar—naked ambition—the desperate hunger to reclaim lost power and wealth.

The government, by contrast, continues its course of structural reform, institutional strengthening, and long-term national renewal. It does not rely on slogans or theatrics but on measurable progress—lower inflation, fiscal stability, anti-corruption enforcement, and social welfare rationalization.

The opposition, devoid of vision and credibility, has no real trump cards left to play. Their “Voice of the People” rally will not echo the aspirations of citizens—it will resound with the noise of their own fear, resentment, and political decay.

Sri Lanka stands at a historic juncture today. For the first time in many decades, it is being led by a government with the courage to confront the root causes of its national decline. Those who destroyed the system now cry foul because that system no longer protects them.

The people have seen enough of empty promises, dynastic corruption, and political deceit. They now understand that real change demands both honesty and hardship—and that only through disciplined governance can the nation rise again.

In that light, the opposition’s campaign is not a threat to the government—it is a confession of its own irrelevance. Their cards are on the table, and every one of them is blank.

The government holds the only genuine mandate—to rebuild a nation, restore integrity, and secure the future. Against that, the opposition’s noise is just that—noise. Their era has ended; Sri Lanka has moved on.

*The writer, among many others, served as the Special Adviser to the President of Namibia from 2006 to 2012, was a Senior Consultant with the UNDP for 20 years, and a Senior Economist with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (1972-1993). He can be reached at asoka.seneviratne@gmail.com