On 16 September 2024, Muragala | Centre for Progressive Politics & Policy (CPPP) hosted a webinar titled “NPP Politics and Policy” in the lead up to Sri Lanka’s presidential and parliamentary elections. The National People’s Power (NPP), also known as Jathika Jana Balawegaya, is a political alliance formed in 2019, primarily consisting of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) along with various trade unions and civil society groups. The NPP emerged as a coalition seeking to provide an alternative to Sri Lanka’s traditional political establishment, driven by widespread dissatisfaction with previous governments—especially following the mass protests (Aragalaya) in 2022.
The purpose of the webinar was to examine the NPP as a political, social, and cultural force within the backdrop of elections and economic crisis and the increasing popularity of the NPP. The webinar featured three distinguished speakers: Professor Nirmal Dewasiri from the University of Colombo, Dr. Amali Wedagedara, Senior Researcher at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, and Dr. Anura Ekanayake, former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Harindra B. Dassanayake, Senior Analyst at Muragala | CPPP. This summary paper captures the key insights shared by the speakers during the webinar, transcribed and translated from Sinhala to English.
The summary paper can be downloaded at the following link:
