SJB rakes up NPP’s broken promises as country heads for local government polls

The SJB has accused the government of overpromising and under-delivering, and urged the public to keep this in mind when they vote at the upcoming local government (LG) elections.

Addressing the media at the SJB Headquarters on Monday, former SJB MP Prof. Charitha Herath said that the ruling party has failed to fulfill almost all of its promises made during the last two elections. He said that the people voted for the NPP based on these promises, but now, the NPP, as the governing party, has shown little concern for what it had pledged.

Herath said there was a contradiction in the NPP’s stance on the IMF programme. The NPP had previously opposed the IMF programme under the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government, but now, under its own leadership, the NPP was pursuing similar economic policies. Herath pointed out that voting for the NPP, especially against former President Wickremesinghe, would be a signal that the people did not endorse this course of action.

Herath noted the rise in gun violence and micro-financing issues, as well as the government’s inability to maintain law and order. “The people were fooled by the NPP’s election promises, believing the NPP would bring an end to their economic woes,” said Herath. “But the reality is far from what was promised.”

With the upcoming local government polls, the SJB is calling on the public to reconsider their support for a government that has not met expectations. Herath urged voters to cast their ballots in opposition to the NPP, believing that this is the best way to hold the government accountable and ensure that it fulfills its obligations to the people.

“If the NPP is opposed in this election, it will be forced to address the issues the people are facing,” Herath stated. “If the government receives support again, the likelihood of them fulfilling the people’s expectations will be minimal.”