Sri Lanka's newly-elected leftist president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, appointed his cabinet on Tuesday, as the country prepares for an expected snap parliamentary election. The move comes as Dissanayake, leader of the People's Liberation Front (JVP), looks to renegotiate the unpopular International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout that followed the nation’s economic collapse.

Dissanayake, who secured a landslide victory in the weekend’s presidential election, was sworn in on Monday. His party, once on the political fringes with just three representatives in the 225-member parliament, gained significant momentum after the 2022 economic crisis that devastated millions of Sri Lankans and led to the painful implementation of IMF austerity measures.

On Tuesday, his office announced the appointment of Harini Amarasuriya, a 54-year-old sociologist and first-time lawmaker, as Prime Minister. Amarasuriya will also oversee the key ministries of justice, education, health, and labor. Known for her advocacy on gender equality and minority rights, she will share all ministerial duties with the remaining two JVP-aligned lawmakers until the dissolution of parliament.

“We will have the smallest cabinet in Sri Lankan history,” party member Namal Karunaratne told reporters, adding that the dissolution of parliament could happen within the next 24 hours.

Dissanayake’s popularity surged as he campaigned on promises to overhaul the country’s "corrupt" political system. His victory, by more than 1.2 million votes over his closest competitor, came in a crowded field of 38 candidates. Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had implemented harsh tax hikes as part of the $2.9 billion IMF bailout, finished a distant third.

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