Over 96% of Sri Lankans want all politicians audited: CPA survey finds

The latest findings of the survey Confidence in Democratic Governance Index (Wave 2) have found that an overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans have been affected by the current crisis.

The survey conducted by the Social Indicator (SI), the survey research arm of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), aims to capture a snapshot of public experiences under the current crisis situation.

The poll has also examined the causes of the crisis as well as the solutions to the crisis from the lenses of the Sri Lankan public. Given the fragile political condition, this survey was conducted within a very short period of time employing SI’s countrywide field network, the CPA said.

According to the survey, 88% of Sri Lankans claim that either they or a member from their immediate family have had to stand in queues to obtain essential items such as gas, fuel, milk powder, fertiliser etc. during the past one month.

Meanwhile, nine out of ten Sri Lankans claim that either his or her income or the income of a member from their immediate family has been affected as a result of the economic crisis. 

According to the CPA’s poll, across the country, people unanimously blame the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the current financial crisis which is considered to be the worst crisis in post-independence Sri Lanka. A total of 62% of Sri Lankans blame the economic mismanagement of the incumbent government, whilst 14.5% and 14.4% respectively, blame the economic mismanagement of governments since independence and the country’s corrupt political culture.

The CPA said this study tested public support towards some of the proposals put forward by various parties to address the current crisis. Accordingly, more than 96% of Sri Lankans believe that all politicians should be audited and all their unaccounted wealth should be confiscated by the State.

Meanwhile, nine out of ten Sri Lankans hold the opinion that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa should resign and that the Rajapaksa family should leave Sri Lankan politics. The poll found that 87% support the demand that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should resign.

“Therefore the survey clearly indicates that in people’s minds the Rajapaksa’s have no role to play in solving the crisis and removing them is seen as the way out of the current crisis,” the CPA said adding that it is important to note that this view is harbored by all ethnic communities including the Sinhala majority who overwhelmingly voted the President in three years ago.