Photo courtesy of LankaTruth
In Institute for Health Policy (IHP) SLOTS polling in July 2024, the net favourability rating of NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake rose 29 points from June to reach +3, and President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s favourability improved 40 points to -24 surpassing SJB leader Sajith Premadasa. Sajith Premadasa’s favourability rating changed little from -42 in June to -44 in July.
Favourability estimates for each month are based on 100–500 interviews conducted during that month and a few weeks before and after to ensure a minimum set of responses. The July 2024 estimates are based on 400 (Sajith Premadasa), 378 (A.K. Dissanayake), 406 (Ranil Wickremesinghe) and 180 (Gotabaya Rajapaksa) interviews.
Some members of the public misunderstand media reporting of these numbers. Negative scores, i.e., a net favourability rating of less than zero, means that the individual or institution is unpopular. Only positive scores, i.e., net favourability is more than zero, mean that the individual or institution is popular on average.
SLOTS surveys a national sample of adults (ages 18 and over) reached by random digit dialling of mobile numbers and others coming from a national panel of respondents who were previously recruited through random selection. SLOTS tracks favourability by asking respondents if they have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of a public figure or institution: net favourability being the average of the positive (+100) and negative (-100) responses.
All estimates are weighted to match the national population with respect to age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sector, province and past voting preference. Monthly estimates are based on samples of 100+ interviews pooled from interviews in each month and from weeks before and afterwards.