Ants' march, promises, and one-year rule of AKD

ONE year on, the moral march of Anura Kumara Disanayake's Government echoes Jonathan Chait's warning: movements that mistake conviction for wisdom risk becoming moral parades rather than governing forces [1].

- By Dr. Jayalath Bandara Adikarige

A year later, the Government's rhythm remains, yet its melody has dulled

1. The promise of the march

"The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah... The little one stops to tie his shoe..." Adapted from an old folk rhyme, the song endures because its rhythm carries a warning: unity preserves survival, but unthinking motion breeds futility.

When Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD) and the National People's Power (NPP) took office, their campaign sounded like that hopeful parade of ants escaping a storm. They promised to rebuild the rule of law, purge corruption, and restore national dignity. To weary citizens, the rhythm of their march felt redemptive an orderly exit from chaos.

2. The drift - motion without meaning

A year later, the Government's rhythm remains, yet its melody has dulled. Discipline endures, but direction has faded.

Debt and the surrender of sovereignty. AKD pledged to renegotiate the IMF program on fairer terms. Instead, the agreement was accepted almost intact, yielding roughly a 10% debt haircut while Argentina under Martín Guzmán achieved around 45%. The resulting austerity has placed the burden squarely on households, turning sovereignty from a principle into a slogan.

Judicial appointments and rule of law. The promised cleansing of institutions soon gave way to continuity. Individuals previously linked to controversy now hold senior judicial or prosecutorial posts, and a former Chief Justice facing public criticism was later nominated to a UN position. The symbolic "pause to tie the shoe" - the moral moment to reflect before marching - never occurred.

3. The container affair - when the march turned blind