Cyclone Ditwah: Major Test for NPP Govt.'s Competence ⛈️

• Cyclone Ditwah has caused immense human tragedy, with hundreds of lives lost or missing and extensive, uncalculated damage to property and livelihoods across the island. • The disaster presents the first critical test for the NPP Government, which built its mandate on a promise of competence, professionalism, and a clear break from past inefficiencies. • Key critiques challenging the Government's image include: • Delayed action on early warnings signaled by the Meteorology Department weeks ahead. • Hesitance to declare a state of emergency, which is cited as a factor in delayed evacuations and bureaucratic paralysis (e.g., officials refusing emergency purchases). • Communication failures, including unclear instructions about disaster-response officials' duties during a public holiday and a lack of prompt, effective Tamil-language communications. • The crisis risks weakening the NPP’s core brand, exposing coordination issues, and providing concrete evidence for the Opposition’s narrative of governing inexperience. • To limit the long-term political fallout, the administration must now shift focus to a rapid, visible, and transparent recovery and reconstruction effort. A slow process will reinforce the perception of a weak initial response.