Sri Lanka’s newly formed cabinet sworn in
The new cabinet comprises 21 ministers, with deputy ministers scheduled to take their oaths at a later date.
KATHMANDU: The newly appointed cabinet ministers of Sri Lanka took their oaths before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on Monday.
The new cabinet comprises 21 ministers, with deputy ministers scheduled to take their oaths at a later date.
This follows Dissanayake’s victory in the Sept 21 presidential election, where he formed the cabinet alongside Harini Amarasuriya and Vijitha Herath.
The cabinet members were selected from the National People’s Power (NPP) party, which secured 159 seats in the parliamentary elections held on Nov 14.
This marks a historic moment in Sri Lanka’s proportional representation system, as no party has ever achieved a two-thirds majority until now.
Harini Amarasuriya has been reappointed as Prime Minister, while Vijitha Herath will oversee Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism.
Addressing the new cabinet, President Dissanayake emphasized the transformative mandate given by the people, who voted for the NPP in both the September presidential and November parliamentary elections.
He credited the party’s policies and the integrity of its members for earning public trust and vowed to lead a government that prioritizes the people.
Dissanayake further highlighted the historic nature of the election results, where citizens from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds united to support the NPP.
He reaffirmed his commitment to protecting and enhancing the rights of all Sri Lankans.
