The NPP's progenitor party (JVP) was socialist. The NPP however has dropped socialism and admitted that it doesn't work. They're currently a center-left populist party (populism is janata-waadi in Sinhala).
Looking accurately into the origins of the JVP, it was started as a populist endavour. The fact was that most Sri Lankans that were sent abroad for studies by the government were sent to the Soviet Union as opposed to the wealthy upper class that could make it to UK and the US. The founder of the JVP was educated at Lumumba University. As such there was very little for them to come up with populism, and they went along with Socialism.
The previously major parties (UNP, SLFP) and their descendant parties (SJB, UDF, SLPP) have run the country into the ground with fiscal mismanagement and government/individual corruption, crony capitalism, mis-appropriation of government funds in the billions (a la the Democrats). Moreover the UNP and SLFP have engaged in numerous false-flags and stoking of ethnic tensions to their benefit. Thomas Sowell has an summarises it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOy86-Kbg9I).
The election results are people rejecting the previous parties. Much like what happened with the Republicans vs Democrats this year.
Sri Lankan here.
The NPP's progenitor party (JVP) was socialist. The NPP however has dropped socialism and admitted that it doesn't work. They're currently a center-left populist party (populism is janata-waadi in Sinhala).
Looking accurately into the origins of the JVP, it was started as a populist endavour. The fact was that most Sri Lankans that were sent abroad for studies by the government were sent to the Soviet Union as opposed to the wealthy upper class that could make it to UK and the US. The founder of the JVP was educated at Lumumba University. As such there was very little for them to come up with populism, and they went along with Socialism.
The previously major parties (UNP, SLFP) and their descendant parties (SJB, UDF, SLPP) have run the country into the ground with fiscal mismanagement and government/individual corruption, crony capitalism, mis-appropriation of government funds in the billions (a la the Democrats). Moreover the UNP and SLFP have engaged in numerous false-flags and stoking of ethnic tensions to their benefit. Thomas Sowell has an summarises it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOy86-Kbg9I).
The election results are people rejecting the previous parties. Much like what happened with the Republicans vs Democrats this year.
Great analysis thank you! Would have never guessed!