We Will Completely Eradicate the ‘Black’ Political Culture of the Thief-and-Police Game: President Vows

08-Sep-2026

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake vowed to completely transform the system that had turned the country into a “black state” and eradicate the “black political culture” that had operated like a game of thieves and police.

He made these remarks while addressing the first meeting of his nationwide public outreach programme, held under the theme “Two Years in Office – Glory to the Country”, in the Bulathsinhala area of the Kalutara District on September 6.

The programme is being conducted as the National People’s Power (NPP) Government completes two years in office.

He said the entire system that had transformed the country into a “black state” needed to be changed.

A situation had developed in which children were not safe and people had lost confidence in their future and in the law, he said.

He alleged that those who had benefited from the “black state” and enjoyed its privileges and benefits were the ones who were now disturbed by the changes being introduced.

The President said the NPP Government possessed executive presidential powers, a two-thirds majority in Parliament and majority control in many local government institutions, including Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils.

“However, we consider the people to be the Government’s greatest strength,” he said.

He noted that even family rulers who had previously possessed executive power and a two-thirds majority had eventually been forced to leave office.

“Real power lies with the people,” he said.

He questioned what had happened to previous rulers who had held executive power and a two-thirds majority.

He referred to the period when one brother had served as President, another as Prime Minister, another as Finance Minister and another as Speaker, while other members of the family also held positions of influence.

He alleged that wealth which should have reached the Treasury had instead found its way into individuals’ homes through various channels, both before and after entering the Treasury.

He said that by blocking those channels and bringing revenue that should have gone to the Treasury back into the state coffers, the Government had been able to achieve state revenue equivalent to 16.7 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 2025, the highest level in 30 years.

The President said the Government had changed a political culture in which power had been abused and people had been afraid of politicians.

He stressed that the public must have the full right to criticise the Government, protest and condemn those in power.

He claimed that 2026 had become the first year in Sri Lanka’s history in which tear gas and water cannons had not been used against public protests and demonstrations.

He said corruption and fraud had spread throughout all levels of the “black state”.

According to him, politics in the country had until now functioned like a “thief-and-police game”.

“When one Government came to power, it accused the other side of being thieves. When the other side came to power, it accused those who had previously governed of being thieves,” he said.

He said this political cycle had continued for years, and that some individuals were now disturbed because genuine legal action was being taken.

He noted that numerous incidents and cases had accumulated over the past 15 to 20 years and said action needed to be taken swiftly to resolve them, particularly because some matters could become subject to statutory time limits.

He said another important aspect of the previous “black politics” was the use of racism.

A political culture based on dividing the people had been promoted, he alleged, with extremist groups being created through financial support to both sides.

He claimed that Islamic extremism on one side and Sinhala extremism on the other had been promoted, creating conditions in which the two communities were encouraged to clash.

As a result, he said, Sri Lanka had been pushed into a position of ridicule before the international community, while a political environment had been created in which citizens of the same country were encouraged to fight against one another.

However, he said that during the two years since the NPP Government assumed office, there had been no police complaints relating to ethnic clashes.

The President vowed that the NPP Government would not retreat in its efforts to completely eradicate “black politics”, the “black economy”, corruption and the breakdown of the rule of law, regardless of opposition or pressure.

He said the Government would continue its efforts to cleanse and transform the country.