August 23, Colombo (LNW): The National People’s Power (NPP) is preparing for a fresh round of islandwide political rallies, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expected to spearhead the campaign from 5 September.
Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the programme would take the party’s political activities into districts across the country, as the governing movement seeks to maintain direct engagement with the public.
Speaking to journalists in Kalutara, Jayatissa said the NPP was also restructuring its grassroots network, including efforts to reorganise divisional councils at Grama Niladhari division level. The move is intended to strengthen the party’s presence and organisational structure at local level.
The Minister meanwhile turned his attention to opposition parties that have claimed public support for the Government is declining. He called on them to put those assertions to the test by organising their own rallies and demonstrating their ability to attract public support.
Jayatissa said political opponents should rely on public mobilisation rather than making claims about growing dissatisfaction with the Government. In a pointed challenge, he urged opposition groups to take their campaign to the streets instead of holding private political discussions.
He also referred to the NPP’s own experience in opposition, suggesting that parties seeking to gauge public sentiment should examine how the movement conducted its political campaigns before entering government.
The forthcoming rallies are expected to serve both as a platform for the Government to present its political message and as a test of the NPP’s ability to mobilise supporters across the country. The campaign is scheduled to begin on 5 September, with President Dissanayake set to take a leading role in the district-level programme.
