NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. She is the 16th Prime Minister of the country.

In addition to her role as Prime Minister, she was also sworn in as the Minister of Justice, Public Administration, Provincial Councils, Local Government and Labour, Education, Science and Technology, Women, Child and Youth Affairs and Sports, Trade, Commercial, Food Security, Co-operative Development, Industries and Entrepreneur Development and Health.

Dr. Amarasuriya also became Sri Lanka’s third female Prime Minister. The late Sirimavo Bandaranaike earlier became the world’s first PM after the assassination of her husband S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. In the mid-1990s her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga served as PM, prior to being elected the President.

Vijitha Herath, MP, receives his letter of appointment as minister from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (PMD)

MP Vijitha Herath was also sworn in as a Cabinet Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, National Integration, Social Security and Mass Media, Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Environment, Wildlife, Forest Resources, Water Supply, Plantation and Community, Infrastructure, Rural and Urban development, Housing and Construction.

President Dissanayake took oaths as the Minister of Defence, Finance, Economic Development, Policy Formulation, Planning and Tourism, Energy, Agriculture, Land, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

After her swearing-in, the new Prime Minister informed the media that Parliament would be dissolved, with an announcement expected by midnight yesterday.

MP Lakshman Nipunaarachchi, former MPs Sunil Handunnetti, Bimal Ratnayake, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence H.S. Sampath Thuyacontha were also present at the event.