International Bodies Warn of Looming Global Economic Crisis
Government Accused of Using Holy Tooth Relic Exposition for Political Gain
President Fails to Release Easter Attack Mastermind as Promised
Names of Sri Lankan Trade Delegates Withheld
Joint Statement with the US Government Becomes Solely Sri Lanka’s Statement
A throng of devotees in Kandy
A look into the recent history of public veneration at the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) brings to mind former President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s notable contribution in March 1991, when he offered a Golden Canopy to the temple and organised a Dalada Exhibition for public worship. Years later, in 2009, following the end of the civil war, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa also held a similar exhibition for the public.
Now, 16 years later, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has requested the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chief Prelates organise another Dalada exhibition. Responding positively, the Theros agreed to the request. However, unlike the previous two occasions, the event has sparked significant public and political debate this time.
The first wave of criticism came from the opposition, who alleged that the government was using the sacred event for political gain, particularly with local government elections on the horizon. They claimed the government intended to leverage the religious significance of the Tooth Relic to distract from its declining public approval.
Further complaints, particularly from Kandy and other provinces, reached Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. These complaints accused local JVP representatives of turning the religious exhibition into a political campaign, organising pilgrimage tours for village elders under the guise of religious worship. Critics argued that politicising a national religious symbol was inappropriate and unethical.
Initially, Sajith did not respond publicly. However, persistent appeals from across the country compelled him to raise the issue in Parliament. In a carefully worded statement, he urged the government to avoid politicising the Dalada exhibition.
Following his statement, the government faced intense backlash on social media, with many condemning the move as a blatant attempt to exploit religion for political advantage, something widely viewed as immoral and unacceptable.
Anura goes, Sajith doesn’t
However, the Dalada exhibition began as planned, and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also joined the opening ceremony. On the same day, Opposition Leader Sajith also met with the Malwatte-Asgiri Maha Thero and discussed the matter, where the Malwatte Anuna Thero invited Sajith to join them in worshipping the Tooth Relic. However, Sajith politely declined the invitation, saying that it was unethical for him to jump the queue to worship the Tooth Relic while hundreds of thousands of people were suffering in queues for days.
However, by last week, the Dalada exhibition was being pushed in a direction that no one had expected. Although the police stated that there was no VIP or VVIP queue at the beginning of the Dalada exhibition, a separate VIP queue was created when hundreds of thousands of people were queuing for days. Social media had reported a queue behind the palace.
With hundreds of thousands of people arriving in Kandy at once, even the police were unable to control the crowd. Providing food and hygiene facilities to the people in the queue had become a serious problem. Four people had died of heart attacks due to the crowding in the queues, and about 400 people were being hospitalized daily. Kandy had become a ‘grubby Kandy’ as the people who had gathered were throwing garbage and waste all over the city. Finally, as the situation could not be controlled, the authorities decided to prevent new devotees from entering Kandy from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All buses were suspended from entering Kandy, and the special train from Colombo to Kandy was also suspended. On Thursday, the army and police were put on high alert throughout the city after reports emerged that a group was planning to create a disturbance in Kandy.
However, the Dalada Vandana Committee and the police had taken steps to meet and discuss the situation in Kandy daily. Finally, in the discussion held on Thursday night regarding the dangerous situation that had arisen, the Vandana Committee decided to allow only those people currently in the queue to worship the Dalada. It was decided not to add any pilgrims who were coming to join the queue and to consider new pilgrims only if it was possible to allow worshipping the nearly 400,000 devotees who had gathered by Thursday.
However, many people point out that the lack of proper planning and organisation led to some problems with the Dalada Vandana. Others point out that this situation arose from putting political considerations behind the display of the Tooth Relic. However, the opposition leader was widely praised by people for not overlooking hundreds of thousands of devotees in the queue for days and performing the ritual when the opportunity to skip the queue was granted.
World Economy at Risk
These days, most people in Sri Lanka are looking forward to the Tooth Relic Exhibition and the local government elections. Therefore, there is hardly any scholarly discussion about the Sri Lankan economy or the world economy in the political arena. However, the economic news published internationally is currently saying that the world economy will not be in a very good condition shortly. In particular, international media have reported that there is a great risk of another global economic crisis within the next few years.
An incident that confirms this also occurred in London last week. A financial analysis team of a world-renowned bank operating in London had informed the bank in a special report given last week that there is a possibility of a global economic recession shortly. Accordingly, the bank in question had started informing its customers about it last week. There, they had informed their key clients that there was a risk of the global stock market collapsing by 30% to 40% due to the economic crisis. Therefore, the bank had also advised its clients to be very careful when investing in the stock market.
The IMF also says
Economic analysts think that if such a global economic crisis arises in Sri Lanka, it will have a very adverse effect on the Sri Lankan economy. Therefore, they are of the opinion that a special discussion should be initiated by the government on how to deal with it immediately and how to remedy it.
The government has already received another hint confirming this. That is from the International Monetary Fund. Its head, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, had also hinted in a discussion held with government representatives recently that there is a risk of an international economic crisis. However, it is reported that it was also mentioned there that it is not expected to have a major impact on Sri Lanka. In addition, a recent report released by the World Bank pointed out that one-third of the people in Sri Lanka are living in extreme poverty due to the ongoing economic crisis. The World Bank report had also emphasised that these people are set to fall even further into poverty in the coming period. It goes without saying that if a global economic recession occurs under such a backdrop, its impact will be severe on Sri Lanka.
Something Happened to the Mastermind
The current government came to power by presenting two main issues to the people. One of them was that it would punish the Central Bank bond thieves. The main culprit in the bond scam, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, would be brought back to Sri Lanka. The second was that it would work to find the mastermind of the Easter attacks. Accordingly, many people thought that the government would reveal the mastermind of the Easter attacks to the country before April 21, the 6th anniversary of the Easter attacks.
There was a special reason for this. The first of these was the information that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith was preparing to make a special statement on April 21, the 6th anniversary of the Easter attacks. We had previously informed in the ‘Inside Politics’ column about this. We also pointed out through the column that several heads of the security forces had met with the Cardinal had discussed this matter. The second issue was that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had made a special statement from the political platform two weeks earlier that steps would be taken to expose the mastermind of the Easter attacks on April 21.
Since Pillayan had already been arrested, detained, and questioned, many began to suspect that the security forces were attempting to uncover the origins of the Easter Sunday attacks through his interrogation. However, as the President himself acknowledged, the true mastermind behind the April 21st attacks was never revealed to the public. Ultimately, the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter attacks, kept at the Presidential Office in Fort for six months after the President assumed office, was simply sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), located just about a kilometre away, also in Fort.
FBI said
Although the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks was not revealed by the government, this series of events brought to light a significant revelation: the final report by the FBI, the world-renowned American investigative agency, regarding the Easter attacks.
The FBI was the first agency to begin investigations following the attacks. This swift response came after intelligence suggested that ISIS was involved, prompting the U.S., a country under serious threat from ISIS, to dispatch a team to Sri Lanka. A group of 33 FBI agents arrived and remained in the country for three months, conducting a thorough, evidence-based investigation. Unlike many politically influenced narratives, the FBI focused strictly on scientific and digital evidence.
Their investigation particularly examined the phones and laptops used by Zahran Hashim and Naufer Maulavi, the key figures behind the attack. The FBI’s final report concluded that while Zahran carried out the attack, it was Naufer Maulavi who acted as the true mastermind, with confirmed direct links to ISIS. The report also exposed those who financially supported the operation, naming, among others, the Ibrahim family.
Despite these revelations, as the President pointed out, the local authorities did not officially identify the mastermind on April 21st, leading to severe criticism from the opposition. In response, the President addressed the public, stating that two out of six critical questions about the Easter attacks had been answered.
One pertained to the killing of two police officers in Vavunathivu, and the other to a specific IMI (International Mobile Identity) number that had been frequently contacted by the terrorists. He noted that investigators had successfully identified and arrested the owner of that number. The remaining four questions, he said, are still under investigation.
What stands out, however, is the stark contrast: while over six years have passed and local investigation departments are still trying to identify the true mastermind, the FBI was able to do so just months after the attack.
Postal voters disengaged
Postal voting for this year’s local government elections began last Thursday (24th). Unlike the presidential and general elections, where public servants showed strong enthusiasm for casting postal votes, this time there has been a notable decline in participation. Reports suggest that in some institutions, up to 50% of public servants did not even apply for postal voting. This trend reflects a broader sense of disinterest or dissatisfaction, creating an unfavourable atmosphere for the government around these elections.
The government is well aware of the situation, and as a result, several late-night strategy discussions were held in Pelawatte over the past few weeks. Initially, the President had no intention of involving himself in the local government election campaign. However, given the emerging challenges, the government eventually decided to bring the President onto the election stage to boost support.
During these strategy meetings, a detailed analysis was conducted on which local government bodies the Compass party (JVP-led alliance) could win and where it was likely to fall short. Analysts pointed out that in many areas, the Compass party would fail to secure an outright 50% majority, leaving room for opposition alliances to take control by forming coalitions. This scenario was considered potentially damaging for the government.
However, some leaders within the Compass party argued that in such situations, internal disagreements among the various opposition groups—especially over chairman and vice-chairman posts—could work to their advantage, possibly allowing Compass to gain control in certain councils despite lacking a majority.
Meanwhile, sources reveal that the opposition parties have already acknowledged the likelihood of securing a majority in many local bodies. In anticipation, they have reportedly reached preliminary agreements on power-sharing strategies. Interestingly, these discussions are said to have taken place at a private birthday celebration held for the daughter of a young rising opposition politician. The gathering included influential leaders from various opposition factions, and the main agenda was election coordination.
At the event, several opposition figures acknowledged that, contrary to Compass projections, winning 50% of the vote in certain areas would be difficult. As a result, they agreed on a plan to coordinate their efforts, form councils, and distribute leadership roles accordingly.
Although these agreements were reached, opposition leaders also decided that the details should remain confidential until after the election, so as not to disrupt their ongoing campaign strategies.
Trade delegates
All countries are currently facing a major crisis due to the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump targeting many countries, including Sri Lanka. Although the heads of state of some countries have gone directly to the US and met with the US President or Vice President, or the Trade Minister to discuss the matter and take steps to significantly reduce the tariff rates, no such action has been seen from Sri Lanka. At the all-party conference convened by the President at the request of the opposition, when Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa submitted a proposal requesting that a competent team be immediately dispatched to the US to discuss the matter, the President said that preparations are already underway.
However, no announcement was made at that time as to who would be included in that team, who would lead it, etc. However, although the news published by the government later stated that such a group would go to Washington and hold discussions with American representatives, there was no mention of who the group of representatives were or who would lead them. By then, the President had also sent a letter to the US President explaining how Sri Lanka could minimise the trade deficit between the two countries.
Ranil’s Conundrum
However, last week, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe summoned a group of former MPS and ministers close to him to Sirikotha to express his views on the group sent by the government to America. At that time, Ranil said that the government had not sent a strong group and that they had not received much recognition from America. Ranil, who had said that other countries usually go to America and meet with the President or Vice President or high-ranking officials, and said that the Sri Lankan team had gone to America and held discussions with a group of ordinary officials. Ranil made this statement to spread the news to the people present there. As Ranil expected, Rajitha Senaratne, who came out of the discussion, told the media the same story that Ranil told in the discussion.
After Rajitha’s statement, the government also realised that it would have a very adverse effect on the government. Accordingly, the President made a special statement on the political stage the very next day regarding the progress of these discussions. There, the President said that the discussions held with the United States have been very productive, and that within the next few hours, both sides will issue a joint statement to the media regarding it. However, as the President said, no joint statement was issued regarding it.
With this statement by the President, the SJB representatives also engaged in an investigation into the progress of the discussions held between the two countries. There, they learned that no agreement of the kind that the President had mentioned had emerged. They were also assured that if such an agreement had been reached, the American authorities would immediately make it public through an X-message. Accordingly, Dr. Harsha de Silva, who immediately called a press conference, stated that it was not known that any agreement had emerged as the President had said, and that he was also waiting for such a joint statement to be issued.
However, when a joint statement had not been issued even after 24 hours had passed since the President made that statement, the Presidential Media Unit had taken steps to issue an independent statement on the US-Sri Lankan talks. It stated the following.
Unilateral Statement
Statement by the Government on the Discussions Held in Washington, DC, with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Reciprocal Tariffs
A Sri Lankan delegation met with Ambassador Jamieson Grier (C) at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington, DC on 22 April.
At the meeting, the Sri Lankan delegation, on the instructions of the Minister of Finance, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, handed over to Ambassador Grier the original copies of the correspondence sent by the Government of Sri Lanka to the US Trade Representative.
The delegation briefed Ambassador Grier on the steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to overcome past and future challenges and to fully restore the economy.
The Sri Lankan delegation highlighted the Sri Lankan government’s proactive and positive commitment to work with the United States government to reduce the trade deficit and reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers.
Ambassador Grier, who appreciated Sri Lanka’s proposals to initiate these discussions, expressed his hope that an agreement could be reached expeditiously to ensure a fair and equitable trade relationship between the two countries.
Subsequently, the Sri Lankan delegation, led by Assistant United States Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch (EBU), appointed by Ambassador Grier, and Director for South Asia Emily Ashby (AUS), met with the U.S. Trade Representative on the same day and provided further details on the proposals submitted in writing by Sri Lanka to the United States.
At the meeting, both sides agreed to continue negotiations with the aim of concluding a bilateral trade agreement between the two countries and expressed their willingness to conclude the relevant agreement as soon as possible.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, merchandise, and direct investment policy, as well as overseeing negotiations with other countries. It is headed by the United States Trade Representative, a cabinet member who serves as the president’s chief trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade issues.
Presidential Media Division – 2025.04.25
However, it is noteworthy that this announcement also did not mention any groups that participated in the discussion representing the Sri Lankan government. Accordingly, the ‘Inside Politics’ column was able to find out who the group that participated in the discussion. The participants were Deputy Finance Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardena, Governor of the Central Bank Nandalal Weerasinghe and the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade. Apart from that, it was also noteworthy that no other high-ranking minister represented the group.
