{"id":241726,"date":"2025-04-28T17:02:31","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T11:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=241726"},"modified":"2025-05-13T11:00:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T05:30:55","slug":"local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Asoka S. Seneviratne<\/a>\u00a0\u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Prof. Asoka.S. Seneviratne<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cEnergy in the executive is the leading character in the definition of good government<\/em>\u201d ~ Alexander Hamilton<\/p>\n

Along with the political tsunami the opposition faced over the last two elections, it highlights the AKD\/NPP Government’s total failure by pointing out that it has not fulfilled its election promises. The opposition seeks to make the AKD\/NPP government unpopular among the people and the country by emphasizing the government’s neglect of the people’s trust and expectations. This is a painful cry to achieve at least a small victory in the Local Elections. However, it does not clarify or indicate what the AKD\/NPP government has accomplished over the last six months. This article suggests how the people and the nation have benefited from the measures implemented by the government in the previous six months.<\/p>\n

Background of the AKD\/NPP Government forced to work.<\/p>\n

In my previous articles for the Colombo Telegraph<\/em> (CT), namely \u201cThe Change Started, But it will not be Ending<\/a><\/span>,\u201d \u201cAKD\/NPP Government is Batting Well<\/a><\/span>,\u201d \u201cAKD: A Renaissance President,\u201d and \u201cThe Popularity Test: AKD\/NPP Government & Local Elections,\u201d I indicated and explained the environment in which the government was to perform its duties. In short, it was not comfortable at all. Given the many issues and concerns, and based on the election promises, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake<\/a><\/span> (AKD) started with a small, affordable cabinet compared to the previous regime, which had a large cabinet. The IMF bailout program was the foundation for all to go ahead. The program parameters restricted the AKD\/NPP government\u2019s thinking to new ideas, which meant that fulfilling the election promises fell within the framework of the IMF bailout. Loan repayment, both local and foreign, amounted to about US$106 billion. There was an agreed-upon timeframe for foreign debt repayment. There were no viable ways for debt repayment aside from government revenue. At the same time, the government was committed to advancing with the massive recurrent budget without compromising capital expenditure. However, government revenue imposed limitations on both recurrent and capital expenditure. Increasing revenue was essential, but the government committed to proceeding without imposing any additional tax burden on ordinary people, who faced the challenge of having at least one good meal per day due to the crisis created by the previous governments.<\/p>\n

The AKD government reduced\/slashed unnecessary expenses for MPs, Ministers, the Office of the President, and the Parliamentary canteen to save money. As a result, the privileged groups from previous regimes became ordinary citizens. Additionally, expenses related to former presidents were cut, providing only the minimum required. The above was also among the election promises.<\/p>\n

While pursuing its objective of caring for the people and the country, the government is committed to combating corruption, bribery, fraud, and mismanagement as a top priority. The introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POKA) and the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) serves this purpose. Achieving the above objectives will take time, as the government is dedicated to adhering to all laws and regulations in the country. Many expected the government would emulate Mahindra Rajapaksa\u2019s actions towards Shirani Bandaranayake, referring to Deshabandu Thennekoon; however, that did not happen. Currently, Deshabandu Thennekoon is under scrutiny by the country’s legal system. There is transparency and accountability for the resulting actions. In short, all complaints regarding corruption, bribery, fraud, and mismanagement will be investigated, and legal actions will be taken accordingly in due course. The AKD\/NPP government has guaranteed the country on these matters.<\/p>\n

Some Achievements of the AKD\/NPP Government <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In the aforementioned articles on CT, I provided information on how the AKD\/NPP government has assisted the people and the country. In summary, I have observed that the government has aided the population and the nation by implementing over 50 notable and effective measures in the last six months. I intend to present these under eight categories as follows:<\/p>\n

Economic and Social Security\/Welfare <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

* Increased the minimum public sector salary by Rs. 15,750.<\/p>\n

* Raised the minimum wage in the private sector from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 27,000.<\/p>\n

* Boosted daily wages of estate workers to Rs. 1,700.<\/p>\n

* Increased pensions and allowances for the elderly and disabled.<\/p>\n

* Raised the Mahapola scholarship from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,500.<\/p>\n

* Provided an allowance of Rs. 6,000 to students in under-resourced schools for supplies.<\/p>\n

* Allowance to elderly people\u00a0 <\/span>increased from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 5000<\/p>\n

* Raised the disability and kidney-patient allowance up to Rs. 19,000<\/p>\n

* Raised death-benefit payout for disaster victims from\u00a0 <\/span>Rs. 250,000 to Rs. 1 million.<\/p>\n

* The coverage of the ASWASUMA Recipients increased by 400,000 (I.e., people who had been dropped). The Welfare Benefits Board announced that Rs. 12.63 billion was credited on April 11, 2025, to the bank accounts of 1,737,141 eligible families under the ASWASUMA welfare program. In addition, Rs. 2.9 billion will be distributed to 580,944 adults over 70 within eligible Aswesuma beneficiary families. It should be noted that streamlined delivery of all welfare payments directly into the beneficiary’s accounts.<\/p>\n

There is convincing evidence that the AKD\/NPP government has supported people by managing limited revenue, in line with its election promise to enhance citizens’ welfare. The government is committed to providing more than just this and will undoubtedly achieve this alongside ongoing economic growth, contributing to a stable and thriving economy. The government cannot accomplish much within six months due to its inherited collapsed economy.<\/p>\n

Some Cost of Living Relief<\/b>\/Measures <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

* Reduced electricity bills by 20% for households and 30% for businesses & industries.<\/p>\n

* Reduction of\u00a0 <\/span>service-export taxes from 30 to 15%<\/p>\n

* The petrol price was reduced from Rs. 332 to Rs. 299, and the diesel price was reduced from Rs. 321 to Rs. 286 per liter.<\/p>\n

* Reduced prices of Milco brand dairy\u00a0 <\/span>products (i.e, Rs. 10 for Highland yogurt,\u00a0 <\/span>Rs, 25 for 450 ml UHT milk,\u00a0 <\/span>Rs . 30\u00a0 <\/span>for 450 ml fresh milk, & Rs. 60 for 900 ml UHT milk)<\/p>\n

* It should be noted that tuning the previously loss-making entity of Milco into a profit-generating entity.<\/p>\n

* Raised the PAYEE tax exception threshold from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 150,000.<\/p>\n

* Adjusted Pay-As-You-Earn brackets to lighten the tax<\/p>\n

One of the major election promises of the AKD\/NPP government was to reduce the cost of living. However, this was forced to be done along with the IMF program. VAT was the primary concern of the people and the country. On the other hand, VAT is one of the primary sources of revenue that the government was forced to take extra care of for many reasons. Electricity and fuel prices affect everybody, directly and indirectly, in different ways. Food, electricity, and fuel prices play a significant role in the cost of living. Given the above, reducing electricity and fuel prices is a substantial benefit or relief to the people, including the opposition. Also, a 30% reduction in electricity tariffs for manufacturing or business will come to the people as a price reduction of items they purchase , along with a reduced cost of production. This was seen as a price reduction of many food items, including bread. Significantly, the government reduced VAT on local fresh milk and yogurt, and the benefit reached the people immediately. Generally, the cost of reduction measures substantially benefits the household budget through reduced prices.\u00a0 <\/span>It appears as household savings that have alternative uses for households. \u00a0 <\/span>Furthermore, viewing and assessing the above based on the Economic and Social Security measures indicated above is essential. <\/b>Economic and Social Security measures and Cost of Living Relief provide extra cash income to households. Without VAT reduction, extra cash income for many families will compensate for the impact of VAT to some noticeable extent.<\/p>\n

Agriculture \/ Farming\u00a0 <\/span>& Fisheries Sector<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

* The Paddy Marketing Board, established to regulate and support the paddy and rice industry, was neglected when the AKD\/NPP government emerged. It has been reactivated\/reorganized. All storage facilities (i.e., nearly abandoned) have been renovated and upgraded quickly)<\/p>\n

* Increased the fertilizer subsidy for paddy to over Rs. 25,000.<\/p>\n

* Provided Rs. 50 million in subsidized loans through the state\u00a0 <\/span>banks to small rice mill owners<\/p>\n

* Increased the fishermen\u2019s fuel subsidy to Rs. 25 per liter<\/p>\n

* Granted, small-boat owners a monthly allowance of Rs. 9,375<\/p>\n

In my article to CT, \u201cWith the AKD\/NPP government, No rice crisis will occur in the future<\/a><\/span>,\u201d I explained some pathetic aspects that the paddy sector faced. Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) and its functions had been confined to the signboard. The AKD government dedicated massive time and funds to reactivate the PMB as a functional and viable entity. This means that the government ensured that the PMB is with the farmers\/people. The government’s fertilizer subsidy program, often called the “Fertilizer Cash Grant (FCG) Program”, provides financial assistance to small-scale paddy farmers. This program aims to support paddy cultivation and ensure food security by making fertilizers more affordable. The subsidy is typically a cash grant, directly credited to farmers’ accounts. The point is that the government is committed to providing fertilizer subsidies as its priority, with renewed interest because of the significant impact of the paddy sector on the economy. From the 2025 budget, the government allocated Rs.11 billion to provide financial subsidies to 550,000 farmers who cultivate paddy in the Yala Season to buy fertilizer. The government budget 2025 allocated Rs. 11.4 billion to the fisheries sector, a 62.85% increase from the 2024 allocation. This includes a Rs. 3 billion fuel subsidy for fishing vessels, which supports fishermen’s livelihoods. The fuel subsidy provides Rs. 25 per liter, with a monthly cap of Rs. 300,000. As indicated above, even with mounting financial constraints, the government has done what is needed for the paddy and fisheries sectors. Unfortunately, the opposition has turned a blind eye to the above while they have also been benefited.<\/p>\n

How Health and Education Sectors have been booted<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the 2025 budget, \u00a0Rs.\u00a0 <\/span>619 billion\u00a0was allocated to the education sector, including Rs. 21 billion specifically for capital expenditure. This marks the highest amount allocated for educational infrastructure in recent history.<\/p>\n

The budget also allocated Rs. 479 billion to the health sector, reflecting an increase of Rs. 43 billion compared to the revised 2024 estimates. It should be noted that Rs. 185 billion has been allocated from the 2025 budget to ensure the supply of medicines. Accordingly, Rs. 7.5 billion will be allocated to provide nutrition packs for pregnant mothers, and Rs. 5 billion will go towards the \u2018Thriposha\u2019 programme. Furthermore, the government<\/p>\n

The government is committed to digitalizing the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) to enhance efficiency in procurement, reduce prices, and deal with MAFIA in the health sector.\u00a0 <\/span>Also, it should be noted that the allocation of Rs. 1,000 million\u00a0(1 billion) in the 2025 budget to increase the per-meal allowance for the pre-school morning meal program from Rs.\u00a060 to Rs.\u00a0100. This initiative aims to enhance the nutritional intake of preschool children.\u00a0Additionally, Rs.\u00a0100 million is allocated to increase preschool teachers’ monthly allowances by Rs.\u00a01,000.<\/p>\n

Foreign Relations and Economic Stability<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

* Stabilized the economy with IMF assistance\/advice<\/p>\n

* Managed to restructure foreign debt successfully<\/p>\n

* Secured grants and investments (not just loans) from countries like India and China.<\/p>\n

* WB & ADB are committed to continuously supporting the country’s development efforts.<\/p>\n

* WB: The World Bank supports Sri Lanka through various initiatives, including financial assistance and policy advice, primarily focused on economic recovery and stability. Specifically, they have provided a $200 million Resilience, Stability, and Economic Turnaround (RESET) Development Policy Operation (DPO), the second in a two-part series, to support ongoing reforms. The World Bank has also supported the health sector by providing $21.6 million in essential medicines and medical supplies. ADB:The ADB has provided significant financial and technical support to Sri Lanka to help stabilize the economy, address the economic crisis, and promote sustainable development. This includes providing loans, repurposing existing loans, supporting essential imports, and providing cash transfers to vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n

* Boosted the tourism industry (i.e., in December 2024, Sri Lanka saw 248,592 tourist arrivals, marking a 35% increase compared to November and an 18.18% boost from December 2023. This brings the total tourist arrivals for the year to 2,053,465, indicating a steady recovery for the tourism industry.<\/p>\n

* Established a strong relationship with India and China.<\/p>\n

* The government’s establishment of a US$3.9 billion oil refinery by China is a massive achievement.<\/p>\n

Strengthened anti-corruption law enforcement & Law & Order <\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

* POCA & NACAP are in place and in the right direction<\/p>\n

* Fostered a political culture free of bribery and corruption<\/p>\n

* Enforced the law against corrupt individuals.<\/p>\n

* Prosecuting high-profile figures such as Pillayan, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Deshabandu Tennakoon, Lohan Ratwatte, Prasanna Ranawira, Marvin Silva, Milroy Perera, etc.<\/p>\n

* S.M. Ranjith & Mrs. M.S. Chandrasena are already serving a 16-year sentence<\/p>\n

Modernization and Digital Transformation<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

* Introduced the GovPay app to digitize government payments.<\/p>\n

* Digitized the Department of Pensions.<\/p>\n

* Scrapped the problematic VFS visa system, reinstated the old visa process, and introduced online passport & visa applications<\/p>\n

Transport and Infrastructure<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

* Improved \/ SLTB (public bus service).<\/p>\n

* Funded 100 new \u201ccomfort\u201d buses for suburban Colombo for Rs . 3 billion.<\/p>\n

* Allocated funds for railway carriage renovations.<\/p>\n

* Opened a new fuel-efficient testing centre.<\/p>\n

Other Measures taken<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

* Launched \u201cGovPay\u201d, a new app to make all government payments online across state agencies.<\/p>\n

* Kept Immigration & Emigration Offices open 24\/7, boosting passport issuances to 4,000 daily.<\/p>\n

* Started building multi-storey housing and land parcels (perch-plots) for hill-country residents.<\/p>\n

* Allocated Rs. 100 million for library development in Jaffna.<\/p>\n

* Allocated Rs 4.268 billion for estate housing development.<\/p>\n

* Set aside Rs. 500 million for mid\u2013level railway station renovations.<\/p>\n

* Managed to keep the US$\u2013SLR exchange rate between Rs . 290\u2013298.<\/p>\n

* Increased foreign reserves of around US$ 5 billion<\/p>\n

* Digitized the pensions department.<\/p>\n

* Streamlined investment approvals, enabling direct advice via BOI, IDB, and MOI instead of through the Minister\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

* Launched the President\u2019s Fund at the provincial level to deliver services locally.<\/p>\n

* Reintroduced regulated vehicle imports under proper procedures.<\/p>\n

* Enabled overseas Sri Lankans to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates instantly via diplomatic missions, digitally.<\/p>\n

* Reinstated intermediary-free E-8 visa disbursements.<\/p>\n

* Introduced a new driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

* Inaugurated a sugar processing factory.<\/p>\n

* The government has embarked on the journey towards proper solidarity and true ethnic reconciliation.<\/p>\n

* Devotees got the opportunity to venerate the sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha after 16 years.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cRata-Anurata\u201d meant all for the people and the country<\/b>. With clean hands, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his cabinet fulfill their election promises by introducing various measures within the IMF bailout program and economizing on limited revenue. They have marked a turning point in the era of nationwide revival across every sector\u2014public welfare, the economy, foreign relations, law, and justice. It may take time for some of these measures to be fully felt, but until then, the people and the country have faith in AKD and believe in the National People\u2019s Power to deliver a \u201cprosperous nation\u2014beautiful life.<\/b>\u201d By the end of five years, AKD\/NPP will have fulfilled most of its commitments and ensured the socio-economic transformation that the people and the country expect. The opposition is still trying to stand after the political tsunami of the last two elections. Namal Rajapaksa was chased away from his village with 2.50%, so he has no claim to it. RW and Sajith are not from villages either. Generally, the opposition has no power, support, or control because the people and the country know how they drove the country into crisis for their benefit. While \u201cRata-Anurata\u201d has been the reality due to the last two elections, \u201cGama-Anurata\u201d will also be the reality in the Local Elections. This means providing essential services, promoting community well-being, and acting as a democratic voice for their constituents.\u00a0It also ensures a healthy environment, safe spaces, and a thriving economy.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

*The writer, among many, worked as the Special Advisor to the Office of the President of Namibia (2006-2012) and was a Senior Consultant with UNDP for 20 years. He was a Senior Economist with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (1972-1993)\u00a0 <\/i><\/b>asoka.seneviratne@gmail.com<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/span> <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2725,"featured_media":240973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2186,46,8,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-featured-news","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nLocal Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-28T11:32:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-13T05:30:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"616\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/\",\"name\":\"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-28T11:32:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-13T05:30:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":616},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92\",\"name\":\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/asssen\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[…]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2025-04-28T11:32:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-13T05:30:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":616,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/","name":"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-28T11:32:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-13T05:30:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg","width":900,"height":616},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/local-elections-what-the-akd-npp-government-has-done-in-six-months\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Local Elections: What The AKD\/NPP Government Has Done In Six Months"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92","name":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/asssen\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2725"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241726"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241729,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241726\/revisions\/241729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}