COLOMBO - On Monday, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. This decision comes after his leftist coalition's victory in the recent parliamentary elections, where they secured 159 seats out of 225 in the legislature.
Additionally, Dissanayake named veteran politician Vijitha Herath as the new Foreign Affairs Minister. However, there was no announcement of a new finance minister, suggesting that Dissanayake will retain control of the finance portfolio, just as he did after his presidential win in September.
Dissanayake, a political newcomer in a country traditionally led by family-based political dynasties, emerged victorious in the September presidential elections. He chose Amarasuriya as Prime Minister and appointed Herath to oversee the foreign affairs portfolio. Despite his win, Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) coalition only held three seats in parliament, prompting him to dissolve the coalition and call for a snap election on Thursday.
The general election's strong results have provided Dissanayake with the legislative power to implement his plans, including efforts to tackle poverty and corruption as Sri Lanka recovers from an economic crisis. The island nation, with a population of 22 million, was severely impacted by a 2022 economic collapse that stemmed from a foreign currency shortage. This led to Sri Lanka defaulting on its sovereign debt and caused the economy to shrink by 7.3% in 2022 and 2.3% the following year.
Though Dissanayake's mandate strengthens political stability, some uncertainty about future policies remains. This is due to his proposal to renegotiate aspects of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rescue program that helped Sri Lanka recover from its financial meltdown.
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