Sri Lanka's New Government: President Dissanayake Unveils 21-Member Cabinet with Ambitions for Reforms
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a 21-member cabinet, marking the beginning of his government's ambitious plans to implement sweeping reforms in Sri Lanka. The new cabinet was sworn in at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on Monday, following last week's snap parliamentary elections.
Retaining key portfolios such as defence and finance, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya will lead a team that promises to tackle corruption in a nation still recovering from its worst economic crisis. Amidst this backdrop, Dissanayake is keenly aware of his sweeping powers, assuring the public that they would be exercised with responsibility.
The new cabinet consists of experienced politicians and experts, including veteran legislator Vijitha Herath as foreign minister. Ananda Wijepala has been appointed public security and parliamentary affairs minister, while Bimal Rathnayake is in charge of transport, highways, ports, and civil aviation.
Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) coalition won a landslide majority in the elections, securing 159 seats in the 225-member parliament. This marks a departure from traditional family parties that have dominated Sri Lanka's politics for decades.
With two-thirds of the majority needed to pass legislation without allies or coalition partners, Dissanayake's government holds significant power to push through reforms. The NPP had campaigned on a promise of a new constitution, with President Dissanayake now set to seize its opportunity.
"We must ensure that this absolute power does not corrupt us absolutely," Dissanayake stated at the swearing-in ceremony. "This huge power that has been given to us must be exercised with responsibility, to fulfil the aspirations of the people who had been oppressed economically and politically for too long."
The new government's first parliamentary sitting is scheduled for Thursday, where they will prepare a budget for 2025 in line with the ongoing IMF bailout secured by the previous government. An IMF delegation is set to engage in talks with the new government throughout the week.