7 things about Sri Lanka’s new PM Harini Amarasuriya, first woman to hold post since 2000

Days after getting a new President, Sri Lanka on Tuesday got Harini Amarasuriya as its new Prime Minister who became the first woman leader to hold the post since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000.  

Amarasuriya, a 54-year-old leader of the National People’s Power (NPP), was administered the oath by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a ceremony in the capital, Colombo.

President Dissanayake also appointed a new Sri Lanka Cabinet of four members, including himself on Tuesday.  

Apart from Amarasuriya, NPP lawmakers Vijitha Herath and Laxman Nipunarachchi were sworn in as Cabinet ministers, forming a caretaker government as the nation prepares for a snap parliamentary election which could happen in late November.

Amarasuriya has been assigned several crucial portfolios including the Minister of Justice, Education, Labour, Industries, Science and Tech, Health, and Investment.

7 things about Sri Lanka’s new PM Harini Amarasuriya

1 - Amarasuriya is an academic, rights activist, and university lecturer and is known for her work in education and social justice.

2 - She has served as a senior lecturer in Sociology and Social Anthropology in the Department of Social Sciences of Open University, Sri Lanka and has made significant contributions to social justice and education in the country.

3 - She is the first academic-turned-politician to take charge of the prime minister of Sri Lanka.  

4 - Amarasuriya entered Parliament through the NPP national list in 2020.

5 - She has been appointed as the 16th Prime Minister of the Sri Lankan parliament.  

6 - Amarasuriya is the first female Prime Minister of Sri Lanka since Bandaranaike took office in 1994 and the third woman to serve in this capacity in Sri Lanka’s history.

7 - Her appointment as PM is seen as a significant step forward for gender representation in Sri Lankan politics and is expected to inspire a new generation of female leaders.

With inputs from agencies.