News
Govt. approval rating drops to 10%
Public approval rating for the Ranil Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government has sunk to 10 percent, says a recent poll.
According to a survey by Verite Research, a Colombo-based think tank, the government continues to have a poor, merely 10%, approval rating among the public, as shown by the results of a recent poll on the ‘Mood of the Nation’.
Verité Research has said in a media statement, titled, “Mood of the Nation” poll, for February 2023: “Another round of the Gallup Style “Mood of the Nation” poll was conducted in early February 2023 by Verité Research. It assessed the approval, satisfaction, and confidence of the nation, in relation to the government, the country, and the economy.
“The poll was conducted as a part of the syndicated survey instrument by Verité Research. This instrument also provides other organisations the opportunity to survey the sentiments of Sri Lanka.
1. Government approval rating | 10% | To the question, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way the current government is working?” only 10% said they approve (with an error margin of ± 2.04%). This is the same extreme low level as it was in October 2022. In June 2022 the approval ratings was at an all-time low of 3%.
2. Sri Lanka satisfaction | 4% | To the question, “In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in Sri Lanka?” only 4% said they were satisfied (with an error margin of ± 1.50%). This rating was at 7% in October 2022 and 2% in June 2022.
3. Economic confidence | negative (-) 78.4 | Multiple choice questions on the condition and trajectory of the economy are used to generate an economic confidence score. The score can range from negative (-) 100 to positive (+) 100. A score above zero means more people see the economic conditions positively rather than negatively. If everyone thinks that the economy is in a poor condition (instead of good or excellent), and everyone also thinks it is getting worse (rather than better), then the score will be a (-) 100. In February 2023 0.3% rated the economic conditions as excellent, 6.0% rate it as good; and 6.3% rate it as getting better. The resulting score was a (-) 78.4 (rounded off as negative 78). This rating was (-) 78 in October, and (-) 96 in June.
The present poll was conducted in early February 2023 and is based on an island-wide nationally representative sample of responses from over one thousand Sri Lankan adults. The sample and methodology were designed to limit the maximum error margin to under 3% at a 95% confidence interval. The specific error margins are reported with the results. The polling partner was Vanguard Survey (Pvt) Ltd.
The Department of Education has announced that the results of the 2024 General Certificate of Education Advanced Level Examination have been released online, and can be viewed on : www.doenets.lk
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the training of teachers required for the new education reforms will commence in May, and that contracts granted to political cronies in local government institutions will be brought to an end following the upcoming local government elections.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing public gatherings held in the areas of Mirigama, Minuwangoda, and Katana in the Gampaha District.
Addressing the gatherings, Prime Minister stated:
“From birth to death, all the aspects of life of a person are handled by local government institutions. However, to this day, these institutions lack proper systems even to provide the people with basic facilities.
We are committed to working with a proper system, free of fraud and corruption, and managing every rupee carefully and attentively. We are identifying the needs of people and implementing projects under a systematic plan to develop rural sectors.
You elect fellow members who stand firmly against fraud and corruption through two decisive elections. First, you elect Anura Kumara as President, a leader committed to fighting corruption. Then, in the parliamentary election, you choose a group of qualified individuals who are equally dedicated to this cause to represent you in Parliament.
To ensure that the funds allocated for rural development reach the people, the local government institutions which are the closest to the villagers must also be clean and transparent. That is why this election is so important to us.
The people and the villages come to experience our corruption-free political culture through local government institutions. These institutions must properly implement, monitor, and evaluate the development projects allocated to the rural sector. The era of awarding contracts for such projects to political cronies must end.
Although early childhood development is a crucial part of education, there has never been a proper system for it. We are now establishing such a system. Starting in May, teacher training for the modern education which is being introduced will begin. We have a comprehensive plan for development across all sectors.
The Ministry of Education has received billions worth of projects, but there is no proper implementation process. For example, 1,500 smart boards were brought for smart classrooms, but the Secretary to the Ministry has not implemented a system to distribute them to schools. Teachers have not been trained to use them. Teacher training institutes still follow outdated curriculum. This will be corrected through the new education reforms,
In order to deliver all these benefits to the rural sector efficiently, it is essential to elect the right people for the right purposes. Therefore, in the upcoming local government elections, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya urged the public to vote for the candidates who are free from fraud and corruption presented by the National People’s Power (NPP).”
The event was attended by Parliament Chief Organizer of the ruling party Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Members of Parliament Ruwanthilaka Jayakody and Chaminda Lalith Kumara, along with several local government candidates and the residents of the area.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath will represent Sri Lanka at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican City, the Ministry said.
The funeral is scheduled for today.
About 50,000 people came to pay their respects to the late Pope on Thursday, the Vatican news service said.
“Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square, marking the beginning of the Novemdiales, an ancient tradition of nine days of mourning and Masses for the repose of the late Pope’s soul,” according to the Vatican news service.
“The Novemdiales Masses will be held each day at 5:00 PM (GMT +2) in St. Peter’s Basilica, except for the Mass on Divine Mercy on Sunday, April 27, which will take place at 10:30 AM in St. Peter’s Square.”
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