Only One-Fifth Credit to the Government? Opposition Scoops Success After Opposing Key Reforms
From IMF tax relief and wage hikes to historical budget surpluses and judicial reforms, the fractured opposition repeatedly invents boogeymen—only to later claim ownership of the achievements.
Ever since the current administration took office, every progressive reform introduced to revitalize Sri Lanka’s economy and governance has met fierce resistance from a shattered opposition. Yet, a consistent pattern has emerged: as these policies yield tangible victories, the very opposition that created panic now scrambles to claim that these initiatives were originally planned during their tenure.
Turning Economic Turmoil into National Victories
Following the bankruptcy during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration, the current government successfully renegotiated terms with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make them more public-friendly. Key achievements include:
Tax Relief: Raising the threshold for PAYE tax to ease the burden on workers.
Public Sector Support: Increasing the salaries of state employees.
Disaster Relief: Allocating Rs. 500 billion (50,000 Crore) to mitigate the impact of the ‘Ditwa’ disaster.
Anti-Corruption Drive: Expanding the powers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to ensure swift, independent investigations.
These measures built a solid foundation for economic stability, culminating in an overall budget surplus of Rs. 197 billion during the first six months of this year.
Resistance to Education and Judicial Reforms
The government’s bold steps in the education sector—such as launching fundamental structural changes this year—were similarly met with opposition fearmongering, notably during debates over English language curriculum updates.
Currently, a similar narrative is being spun around judicial reforms. Opposition factions, alongside select members of the Bar Association, have unleashed a misinformation campaign, inventing false alarms over the extension of the retirement age for the sitting Chief Justice.
A Repeated Cycle of Bankruptcy
This marks the fifth major instance where critical government reforms were initially depicted as threats, only for the opposition to later backtrack and claim they never opposed them-or even worse, claim credit for planning them.
Health, economic, and institutional progress continue to move forward, proving that while the opposition focuses on creating phantom crises, the government continues to deliver concrete results for the nation.
0
