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Fact Check
Video of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stating that during a recent meeting, the Unemployed Graduates' Union raised concerns of graduates waiting nearly five years for jobs.
The claim is misleading. The video is from August 2024, before the presidential election, and does not depict a recent meeting.
A 28-second video clip is circulating on TikTok in which President Anura Kumara Dissanayake purportedly addresses the media in Sinhala stating, “During today’s meeting between the Unemployed Graduates’ Union and the NPP, the union clearly pointed out that graduates have been waiting for jobs for nearly five years after their graduation.”
The TikTok videos sharing this clip can be seen here and here.
A Google search using relevant keywords did not show any credible news reports or official updates indicating that such a recent meeting took place between the Unemployed Graduates’ Union and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The TikTok videos contain no caption or text specifying the date, location, or context of the alleged recent meeting. The clip also ends abruptly before the President completes his remarks, raising further doubts about its authenticity.
A reverse image search of a keyframe from the video revealed the original full video was posted on Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official YouTube channel on August 8, 2024, prior to the presidential election. This video was recorded at the NPP head office after an actual meeting between the Unemployed Graduates’ Union and Anura Kumara Dissanayake last year, on August 8, 2024.
AKD also referenced this meeting in an X post, noting that a group of unemployed graduates met him on August 8, 2024 at the NPP head office to discuss their concerns and the NPP’s policy approach to addressing them.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his role as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies, delivered his second Budget Speech on 7 November 2025, announcing several major allocations and reforms. Following the budget presentation, public discussion surged across mainstream and social media, particularly regarding employment and graduate recruitment.
On 11 November 2025, Socialist Youth Union Education Secretary Mahesh Ambepitiya stated at a press conference at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte that the NPP Government’s Budget is people-centric and includes provisions to address issues faced by unemployed graduates. He further noted that approval has been granted to fill 68,000 government vacancies.
The 2026 NPP Budget outlines a strategy for addressing unemployment among graduates through limited, merit-based recruitment for essential roles, rather than through a special relief package or mass hiring program. Given this renewed public focus on unemployment, old videos are now being reshared misleadingly to imply recent statements or meetings.
A viral video showing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stating that the Unemployed Graduates’ Union raised concerns about graduates waiting nearly five years for jobs, is misleading. The video is from August 2024, before the presidential election, and does not show a recent meeting between President AKD and the Unemployed Graduates’ Union.
FAQs
Q1. Is the video of President AKD discussing unemployed graduates from a recent meeting?
No. The video is from a meeting held on August 8, 2024, and is not related to any recent event.
Q2. How was it confirmed that the video is old?
A reverse image search led to the original video posted on AKD’s official YouTube channel on August 8, 2024. He also posted about this meeting on his official X account on the same date.
Q3. Why is the video being shared now if it’s from 2024?
The video is being recirculated due to renewed public attention on unemployment following the 2026 Budget. Older clips are sometimes shared misleadingly to make them appear as recent statements or events.
Our Sources
Original video published on Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official YouTube channel on August 8, 2024.
Post on AKD’s official X (Twitter) account noting his meeting with a group of unemployed graduates on August 8, 2024 at the NPP head office.
AKD’s second Budget Speech delivered in Parliament on November 7, 2025, published on the Ministry of Mass Media’s official website.
News report published on Daily News on November 12 featuring Mahesh Ambepitiya’s comments on the budget.
Misleading
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