Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Reappoints Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister

Harini Amarasuriya, a distinguished scholar with a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, will lead the government as Sri Lanka navigates through its ongoing economic challenges.

Veteran lawmaker Vijitha Herath has also been reappointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, while President Dissanayake retains the crucial Ministry of Finance to oversee the country’s economic recovery efforts.

Historic Election Victory

The appointments follow last Thursday's snap parliamentary election, where the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, led by Dissanayake, secured a historic victory. The coalition won 159 of the 225 parliamentary seats, marking the largest win by any party or coalition in Sri Lanka’s history.

The NPP garnered 7 million votes, accounting for 62% of the total vote share. This landslide victory comes after Dissanayake's performance in the presidential election in September, where he secured 42% of the vote. At that time, the NPP held only three parliamentary seats.

The significant boost in parliamentary representation led Dissanayake to call for the early election, which has now solidified his coalition’s mandate to govern.

Next Steps

On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s parliament will convene to elect a new Speaker. This development underscores the NPP’s intent to implement its ambitious agenda and address the pressing challenges facing the nation.

The reappointments signal continuity and stability as the government prepares to tackle Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and implement reforms across key sectors.