Harini Amarasuriya has taken oaths as the 16th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in an unprecedented move; it is a landmark for Sri Lanka, being only the third woman to become prime minister in its history and the first since 2000. The announcement comes after the oath-taking by Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the island nation’s ninth Executive President. Amarasuriya of the National People’s Power alliance led by Dissanayake replaces Dinesh Gunawardena.
Apart from the Premiership, Amarasuriya has been given all-important portfolios such as Justice, Industries, Science and Technology, Health, and Investment.
The 54-year-old Amarasuriya has strong academic connections with India, having done her Bachelor’s in Sociology from Delhi University from 1991 to 1994. She attended Hindu College – a college that has produced some of the most powerful people in the country – a period believed to have been a turning point in her political career.
The principal of Hindu College, Anju Srivastava, said, “It’s a matter of great honor to know that a Hinduite has become the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Harini was a Sociology student here, and we are extremely proud of her achievements. I hope her time at Hindu College contributed to her success.”
Born on March 6, 1970, Harini Amarasuriya has entered the political limelight of Sri Lanka, joining the ranks of former Prime Ministers Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Kumartunga. A social activist and university lecturer by profession, she boasts a BA, with Honours, in Sociology, an MA in Applied Anthropology and Development Studies, and a PhD in Social Anthropology awarded from the University of Edinburgh.
In the ninth Parliament of Sri Lanka, which runs from 2020 to 2024, Amarasuriya attended 269 sessions while being marked absent for 120 sessions. She swore in for a new era in Sri Lanka politics, promising progressive change.
