Sri Lanka: JVP/NPP's Election Mirage

The article analyzes the political maneuvering of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)/National People's Power (NPP) in Sri Lanka leading up to and during local government elections. It argues that the JVP/NPP, while presenting itself as an alternative to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), is complicit in implementing the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) austerity measures that are impacting the working class. The piece details the social unrest and economic hardship caused by these measures, including increased taxes, privatization, and cuts to public services. It contends that the JVP/NPP is exploiting public discontent to gain electoral support, aiming to secure a "mandate" to continue implementing the same policies that are causing widespread suffering. The article alleges that the JVP/NPP is attempting to co-opt popular anger without offering a genuine alternative to the capitalist system and its inherent inequalities. They are accused of prioritizing stability and debt repayment to international creditors over the needs of the population, ultimately serving the interests of the ruling class. The article paints the JVP/NPP's actions as a calculated strategy to consolidate power while perpetuating the existing economic order, thereby betraying the interests of the working class they claim to represent. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/05/aspa-a05.html