Colombo (LankaXpress) – Sri Lanka’s newly elected Cabinet Ministers are set to take their oaths today, November 18, at 10:00 a.m., in a ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya will be reappointed as Prime Minister, political sources confirm, despite Vijitha Herath receiving a record-breaking 716,715 preferential votes in the 2024 General Election compared to her 655,289 votes. Amarasuriya is also expected to serve as the Minister of Education, according to reports.
Prominent National People’s Power (NPP) leader Vijitha Herath is anticipated to assume the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Nihal Galappaththi is likely to be appointed as Minister of Fisheries, while Bimal Rathnayake will oversee Civil Aviation. Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa is expected to take charge of the Health Ministry, K.D. Lal Kantha the Agriculture Ministry, and Wasantha Samarasinghe the Ministry of Industries.
In line with a commitment to efficiency and equitable governance, the Cabinet will comprise no more than 25 members, with ministerial portfolios allocated based on a scientific approach, sources say.
The swearing-in follows the NPP’s historic victory in the November 14 Parliamentary Election, where the party secured a commanding two-thirds majority with 159 seats, heralding a transformative era in Sri Lankan politics.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is slated to address the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament on November 21 at 3:00 p.m., marking the beginning of the NPP-led government’s legislative agenda.