Colombo
Sri Lanka’s newly-elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will present his government’s policy statement at the inaugural session of the country’s 10th parliament on November 21, the parliament’s press office announced on Saturday.
Dissanayake, leader of the National People’s Power (NPP), which secured a landslide victory in the recent parliamentary elections, now holds absolute control of the legislature with 159 seats, well above the two-thirds majority mark of 150. The elections followed a period of political and economic turmoil, including the island nation’s sovereign default in April 2022 and subsequent public protests that led to the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The President’s address will take place from the Speaker’s chair after all members of the newly-formed parliament take their oath. A new Prime Minister and a 25-member cabinet are expected to be appointed by Dissanayake on Monday, with a scientific allocation of ministries, according to his party.
This session will also include an induction program for the over 150 new members of parliament, scheduled for November 25-27. The session marks Sri Lanka’s first parliamentary elections since the nation’s severe economic crisis, during which it began a bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
As Sri Lanka continues its recovery, Dissanayake’s administration faces the challenge of meeting IMF revenue targets in the third review of its $2.9 billion bailout program.
