Sri Lanka’s President Dissanayake appoints Harini Amarasuriya as PM after election win

Sri Lanka, home to 22 million people, suffered an economic crisis in 2022 due to a foreign currency shortage that triggered a sovereign default.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya

Harini Amarasuriya, a trailblazer in her own right, is the first woman to hold the position since 2000 and only the third woman to ever serve as Prime Minister in Sri Lanka's history. (File Photo)

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister, following his coalition’s victory in Thursday’s general election. The leftist National People’s Power (NPP) alliance secured 159 seats in the 225-member parliament, granting Dissanayake significant legislative power.

During Monday’s swearing-in, veteran legislator Vijitha Herath was also reappointed as Foreign Affairs Minister. However, Dissanayake chose not to name a new Finance Minister, indicating he will retain the portfolio himself, continuing the approach he adopted after his presidential election win in September.

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Dissanayake, who represents a break from Sri Lanka’s historically family-dominated political landscape, first appointed Amarasuriya as Prime Minister in September. At the time, the NPP held only three parliamentary seats, prompting him to dissolve parliament and call for snap elections to secure a stronger mandate, reported Reuters.

The general election results provide Dissanayake with the legislative power to advance his agenda, which focuses on combating poverty and corruption in a nation still recovering from a severe financial meltdown. Analysts believe the election outcome marks a step toward greater political stability, though uncertainties remain over his economic policies.

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Sri Lanka, home to 22 million people, suffered an economic crisis in 2022 due to a foreign currency shortage that triggered a sovereign default. The crisis caused the economy to contract by 7.3% in 2022 and 2.3% in 2023.

While the president’s sweeping mandate is seen as a stabilising factor, his intentions to renegotiate aspects of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, which helped the country weather its economic crisis, have raised concerns. “Policy continuity will be key, but efforts to tweak the IMF terms could create uncertainty,” analysts noted.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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