Sri Lanka’s presidential election a test for current leader, 2 years after its economy hit bottom
Associated PressSEP 11 2024
Following a landslide victory in the snap parliamentary elections last week, Sri Lank'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, is part of the president's pledge to streamline governance. He's also promised to create a new constitution.
Among those staying from the last cabinet include Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who will also lead the ministries of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education. Vijitha Herath will remain as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism.
Sri Lanka's leftist political movement has been struggling to gain power for over half a century, and the NPP has finally given people hope for a recent win and offers hope for a fresh, positive future. While critics claim the incoming government is inexperienced, the truth is that integrity, political will, and commitment matter more. These appointees are also professionals who will base their government policies on expertise and science.
While it's completely understandable for the people to want sytemic change, the NPP's marxist ideas are the exact reasons Sri Lanka is facing unemployment and debt issues. The economy, which has been crushed by these policies and the poorly negoiated IMF bailout deal, needs to be saved through growth, not contraction. Hopefully, the people will realize this one day and shift their support to the SJB Party instead.