Sri Lanka, Aug. 23 -- Sri Lanka's political establishment has operated on the assumption that the National People's Power (NPP) government, propelled into office by voters exhausted with the old order, would enjoy an unusually long period of public patience. The latest Mood of the Nation poll by Verite Research challenges that assumption. In five months, government approval fell from 65% in February 2026 to 50% in July. The share of respondents who said the economy was improving fell from 64% to 42%, while disapproval rose to 31%. These figures do not prove that the government has lost its electoral mandate, but they do indicate a substantial deterioration in public perceptions of its performance.

It would be a mistake to dismiss the fin...