A powerful political force is reemerging in Sri Lanka’s security landscape, and government insiders are increasingly concerned about what will happen next.
Dilith Jayaweera, the influential leader of Sarvajana Balaya who orchestrated Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s successful 2019 presidential campaign, has launched a systematic offensive against President Dissanayake’s administration, focusing squarely on what he describes as “catastrophic national security failures.”
“What we’re witnessing is history repeating itself,” said a senior political analyst who requested anonymity. “The same security concerns that catapulted Rajapaksa to power are being expertly weaponised against the current administration.”
Jayaweera has assembled a council of retired military professionals to conduct parallel threat assessments in a strategic move that has raised eyebrows across party lines. This elite group has reportedly identified critical vulnerabilities that remain unaddressed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna-led government.
“The administration treats existential threats with shocking casualness,” Jayaweera declared at a recent closed-door meeting with political allies. “This isn’t partisan politics, this is about Sri Lanka’s survival.”
Government sources privately admit Dissanayake’s team has struggled to counter these attacks effectively. “When former generals start publicly questioning your security credentials, it resonates deeply with voters who remember the Easter bombings,” confessed one political strategist.
The timing appears deliberate. With local government elections approaching, Jayaweera’s intensifying campaign represents the opening salvo in what insiders describe as a long-term strategy to recapture power.
“Don’t underestimate what’s building here,” warned a former intelligence official now allied with Sarvajana Balaya. “The security apparatus remembers who truly understands their concerns. The Dissanayake administration dismisses these criticisms at their own peril.”
For a nation scarred by decades of conflict and terrorism, Jayaweera’s message strikes at core anxieties that transcend party loyalty. The question now facing the administration is: Can they prove themselves capable defenders before public confidence erodes beyond repair?
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