Harini Amarasuriya takes office as Sri Lank's new Prime Minister

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka offering prayers after his swearing-in ceremony, in Colombo. Pic/AFP

Harini Amarasuriya was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, becoming the first woman leader since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000 to hold the post, PTI reported.

According to PTI, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake swore in the 54-year-old National People's Power (NPP) leader, who appointed his cabinet of four, including himself.

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

She replaced the former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who resigned from his post following the presidential election.

Amarasuriya, an activist and university lecturer, is Sri Lanka's first female prime minister since the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike took up office in 1994. She is also the nation's third female prime minister in the country's history.

National People's Power (NPP) parliamentarians Vijitha Herath and Laxman Nipunarachchi were sworn in as cabinet ministers.

With the parliament about to dissolve and a quick election planned, they would act as the interim cabinet.

The election is expected to take place in November, according to officials, PTI reported.

Dissanayake, 56, was sworn in as Sri Lanka's ninth president on Sunday following his victory in the presidential election.

The new president said on Tuesday that he would reopen the investigation case into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

He made these remarks while paying a courtesy call on the head of the Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal - Ranjith, following his victory.

"The new president assured us that the truth on the Easter Sunday attacks would be brought to light," Ranjith said.

Ranjith has voiced criticism on the inquiry of the attacks that occurred during Easter Sunday mass at star-class hotels and churches, resulting in the deaths of almost 300 people, including foreign nationals.

According to PTI, he blamed both the former presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe for the attack, and slammed the investigation as a political cover-up of the attacks carried out of the jihadi group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ).

Former president Maithripala Sirisena had appointed a high-level probe committee after being pressurized by the church.

The probe found Sirisena guilty and ordered him to pay a compensation of SRs 100 million (INR 27,443,756) to the victim's relatives.

The then defence top brass were also found guilty of criminal negligence as they ignored prior intelligence warnings from India, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)