WORLD

'Don't want to be sandwiched between China, India': Sri Lankan President

Wednesday, 25 Sep, 2024
Anura Kumara Dissanayake is Sri Lanka's first-ever Marxist party leader to become head of state. (Photo courtesy: Anura Kumara Dissanayake/Facebook)

Left-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake became the President of Sri Lanka last week following a historic run-off election.

Colombo: Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has outlined the broad contours of his government's new foreign policy, stating that he doesn't want to be caught between India and China. In an interview with The Monocle, Dissanayake said, "We don’t want to be sandwiched, especially between China and India. Both countries are valued friends and, under a National People’s Power (NPP) government, we expect them to become close partners."

"We also want to maintain relations with the EU, the Middle East and Africa," Dissanayake said in his interview with The Monocle which was conducted on September 3. Dissanayake, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party's broader front NPP, defeated his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in Sri Lanka's Parliamentary elections.

The election was the first to be held since mass protests unseated Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022 after the country suffered an economic crisis. Dissanayake won the election, obtaining 5.74 million votes, with 105,264 preferences. Premadasa got 4.53 million votes with 167,867 preferences.

President calls snap polls on Nov 14

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved the Sri Lankan Parliament and called for snap polls within one month. The aim behind the move is for the new leader to follow up on his electoral promise of bringing change in Sri Lanka's decades-old rule by political families. The last time that Sri Lanka's Parliament was convened was back in August 2020. The term, though in place till August 2025, came to an end on September 24 - 11 months ahead of schedule.

 

Harini Amarasuriya is Sri Lanka's new PM


(Photo courtesy: Harini Amarasuriya/Facebook)

Harini Amarasuriya was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister, becoming the first woman leader since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in the year 2000 to hold the post. The 54-year-old National People's Power (NPP) leader was sworn in by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

She has been assigned the portfolios of the Minister of Justice, Education, Labour, Industries, Science & Tech, Health, and Investment, and replaces Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who resigned from his post following the presidential election.