Chathuranga defends NPP: ’76 years of damage, one year of rebuilding’

Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe marked one year since the National People’s Power (NPP) came into government, saying that the party has fulfilled the main demands of the 2022 struggle, the “Aragalaya,” and brought “real system change” to Sri Lanka.

In a Facebook post on October 6, 2025, Abeysinghe questioned critics of the NPP administration, particularly those who did not participate in the Aragalaya, the series of protests that began in March 2022 demanding political and economic reform.

“Why do those who didn’t join the struggle even care?” he asked, pointing out that one year into the NPP’s rule, many of the doubts and criticisms voiced before the election had proven false.

Economy Recovering Without Boasting

Abeysinghe recalled that by September 2024, Sri Lanka was emerging from an economic collapse and had reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on reforms and anti-corruption measures, though debt restructuring had been delayed by a year.

He said that people who didn’t vote for the NPP had predicted the NPP government would fail, claiming the party lacked economic knowledge, administrative experience, and international credibility. “But one year later, all that talk has proven meaningless,” Abeysinghe wrote. “The economy is recovering and strengthening by the day, and we don’t even need to boast about it. Investors, the IMF, the World Bank, the stock market, and other international institutions are proof enough.”

“System Change” Taking Root

The Deputy Minister claimed that within one year, the NPP government had fulfilled the three key demands of the Aragalaya: a new political culture, rule of law and justice, and an efficient public service.

He highlighted several achievements:

• End of political interference in public service appointments
• Freedom for citizens to speak openly and meet leaders without fear
• Equal application of the law to all, regardless of status or power
• An active Bribery and Corruption Commission
• Independence of the police and judiciary
• Improved respect and salaries for public servants, along with new technology and greater autonomy

“Those Who Didn’t Join the Struggle Can’t See the Change”

Abeysinghe said that those who didn’t join the 2022 Aragalaya were not concerned with system change and therefore cannot appreciate the transformation underway. “Those who benefited from the old corrupt system or who fear losing privileges or ending up in jail are the ones now feeling the heat,” he said.

He added that the opposition, naming several political and media figures, is pretending to care about change while having stood against the struggle.

“A Year of Rebuilding After 76 Years of Destruction”

Concluding his post, Abeysinghe said that the NPP welcomes criticism and suggestions but remains committed to continuing reforms. “Alongside economic progress, the system change is happening,” he wrote. “It’s only been twelve months since we started rebuilding what was destroyed over seventy-six years.”

He urged the public to look at the reactions and comments from those who didn’t take part in the Aragalaya, saying that would reveal “the truth for themselves.”