Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dishanayek reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister. He was reassigned on Monday (November 18). However, President Dishanayek has retained the important post of Finance Minister. British news agency Reuters reported this news.
54-year-old Prime Minister Harini Amarsuriya received the second highest number of preferred votes. He holds a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in social anthropology. Along with the Prime Minister, he will also hold the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The new parliament will sit next Thursday. Speaker will be selected there. On that day, Dishanaik will also present his key policy priorities to the newly elected MPs.
Besides, the President has to present an interim budget within the next few weeks. At the same time, he has to find ways to cut taxes and increase welfare, which were his main campaign promises. But they must be done without disrupting International Monetary Fund (IMF) programs.
Dishanaik's leftist coalition won a record 159 seats in the 225-member parliament in last week's general election. He reappointed senior MP Bijitha Herath to the charge of External Affairs.
Dishanaik has served as finance minister since being elected last September and will remain in the post, two party sources told Reuters.
Sri Lanka is now looking for a strong recovery to emerge from its worst economic crisis since independence from the British in 1948.
An IMF delegation is in Colombo for the third phase of the review of the $2.9 billion loan program. Which is expected to release about 337 million funds.
But Dishanaik needs to complete the 12.5 billion debt restructuring and steer economic growth on a sustainable path.
However, the Indian Ocean island nation is heading for a stronger recovery from a devastating economic crisis.
