A year for decisive action

AS Sri Lanka approaches 2026 the President and the current Government have now been in office for over a year, and it is safe to say that the honeymoon period traditionally afforded to a new administration has come to an end.

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While some progress has undoubtedly been made during this time, the decisive system change promised to the electorate has not yet been delivered. The gap between expectations and outcomes is becoming increasingly visible, and with it, the risk of eroding public trust.

We have seen this story before. The lessons of the 2015 Yahapalana administration remain painfully relevant. That administration too came to power on a wave of hope, reformist rhetoric, and a promise of clean governance and reconciliation. Its failure to act decisively, particularly in its early years, ultimately cost it credibility and paved the way for its political collapse and a return to the draconian Rajapaksa regime. If this administration is serious about avoiding a similar fate, it must make bold, and often uncomfortable, decisions soon.