Colombo: Sri Lanka’s new Cabinet will be sworn in on Monday in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, his media office said on Sunday.

National People’s Power led by Dissanayake swept the parliamentary elections held on Thursday by winning a two-thirds majority. It also dominated the Jaffna electoral district – the heartland of the nation’s Tamil minority.

“The swearing-in of the new Cabinet of the government will take place tomorrow (18) at 10:00 am at the Presidential Secretariat, in the presence of President @anuradisanayake, President’s Media Division posted on X.

The 10th Parliament is set to convene for its first session on November 21.

According to Article 46 of the Constitution, the total number of Cabinet ministers is limited to 30. The number of deputy ministers shall not, in the aggregate, exceed 40.

The NPP has been advocating a smaller government to reduce costs for the public.

Since the NPP won the presidential election in September, the government functioned with just 3 ministers, including the President.

The NPP’s victory in the parliamentary election has created many firsts and records.

It received 61.56 per cent of the total votes counted. The previous best was 60.33 per cent by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party in the 2010 election.

The NPP won the highest number of polling divisions, 152 out of 168, the previous best was Rajapaksa’s 136.

It also won the highest number of districts 21 out of 22, the previous best was 19 by Rajapaksa in 2010.

It has the highest number of 159 parliamentary seats over Rajapaksa’s 145 in 2020.

Under the proportional representation system of elections, they became the first party to cross the 150 mark to gain a two-thirds absolute majority.

 

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