Sri Lanka President Anura Dissanayake appoints Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister
- In Reports
- 10:01 PM, Sep 24, 2024
- Myind Staff
Sri Lanka’s newly appointed president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has named college professor and first-time lawmaker Harini Amarasuriya as the country’s new prime minister, making her the third woman to hold the position in the island nation. At 55, Dissanayake has taken on the crucial finance portfolio himself, as Sri Lanka strives to recover from its worst economic crisis in seven decades and its first-ever debt default. Known for his Marxist-leaning views and fiery political stance, Dissanayake will also oversee economic development and tourism, while focusing on fulfilling promises to support the country’s impoverished population.
Dissanayake’s plans to slash taxes and his intent to reconsider the terms of Sri Lanka’s $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout have raised concerns among investors, who worry that such moves could delay the country’s critical $25 billion debt restructuring. During his inauguration on Monday, Dissanayake provided limited insight into the extent of his hardline economic stance, leaving uncertainty about the direction of his fiscal policies.
“Our politics needs to be cleaner, and the people have called for a different political culture,” the 55-year-old said. “I am ready to commit to that change.”
Dissanayake ran as the candidate for the National People’s Power coalition in Saturday’s presidential election, representing his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party. Traditionally known for its Marxist economic policies emphasising protectionism and state intervention, the party has shifted towards more centrist positions in recent years. This evolution reflects a broader strategy to appeal to a wider electorate amidst the country's pressing economic challenges.
According to the president’s office, Dissanayake appointed veteran legislator Vijitha Herath to lead the foreign affairs and public security portfolios, among others. At 56, Herath has been a member of parliament since 2000, while 54-year-old Amarasuriya only entered the legislature in 2020. Amarasuriya, an academic with a doctorate in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, will also oversee the portfolios of education, media, and women and children’s affairs.
Amarasuriya is the third woman to serve as prime minister of Sri Lanka, following the world’s first woman prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who took office in 1960, and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who assumed the role in 1994. This election marked Sri Lanka’s first since its economy collapsed in 2022 due to a severe foreign exchange shortage, which hindered the country’s ability to import essential goods, including fuel, medicine, and cooking gas. The resulting protests led to the ousting and subsequent resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Dissanayake and his newly appointed cabinet are tasked with establishing an interim government, as analysts anticipate that he will dissolve parliament and call for a snap general election, given that his party holds only three of the 225 seats in the current legislature. Just before Dissanayake took the oath of office on Monday, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene resigned to pave the way for the new prime minister and cabinet.
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