Following a landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections last week, Sri Lanka's Marxist-leaning Pres. Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People's Power (NPP) Party has appointed a new 21-member cabinet.

While the Constitution requires a 30-member cabinet, Dissanayake — whose party won 159 of the 225 parliamentary seats — has formed a smaller cabinet as part of his pledge to streamline governance. He's also promised to create a new constitution.

While eight of the appointees are veteran cabinet members, 12 are new appointees.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who will also lead the ministries of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, is among those remaining from the last cabinet. Vijitha Herath will remain as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism.

Other returnees include Bimal Rathnayake for Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation, and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to oversee Health and Media.

Dissanayake's reduced cabinet is part of his goal to reach the targets set by an IMF bailout deal signed by his predecessor, Ranil Wickremesinghe. While he previously criticized it for burdening the people too much, he's promised to abide by it.

Sri Lanka: President Appoints New Cabinet

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Sri Lanka: President Appoints New Cabinet

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