Former MP Charitha Herath at media briefing yesterday

• Accuses NPP Govt. of mishandling governance and focusing on trivial, self-created issues
• Criticises Govt. for transforming minor matters into major political points
• Warns NPP’s current approach risks becoming a political joke in long term

Former MP Charitha Herath delivered a sharp critique of the National People’s Power (NPP) Government during a media briefing held at the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) head office in Pita Kotte yesterday.

Addressing the gathering, Herath accused the NPP Government of mishandling governance and prioritising trivial issues. “The Government is currently in a quagmire of its own making,” he remarked, asserting that the challenges faced by the NPP stem from self-created “trivial issues” rather than those inherited from previous administrations.

Herath criticised the NPP for transforming minor matters, such as the refusal to dine in Parliament’s cafeteria or attend cultural performances, into major political talking points. “These actions demonstrate the Government’s struggle to maintain the ‘paper palace’ it created to win elections,” he added.

The former MP also alleged that the NPP Government had built a narrative to delegitimise past Governments and politicians. “They constructed a story that for 76 years, all politicians and political ideologies in the country were wrong, and only the NPP was right,” he said. He claimed the party’s reliance on this narrative has forced them to exert immense effort to retain public support, describing their strategy as one built on “lies”.

Prof. Herath warned that the Government’s efforts to preserve its credibility may soon backfire. “The NPP will now have to work hard for five years to protect the fabricated stories that won them political power. These actions risk turning into a political joke,” he said, pointing to growing internal crises and allegations of criminality and fraud within the ruling party’s ranks.