- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: About Us
- Hits: 911
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was sworn-in as the 16th Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on 24.09.2024. She was nominated by the National People’s Power coalition to the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka in August 2020.
Dr. Amarasuriya is a prominent Sri Lankan academic, activist, and politician born on March 6, 1970, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Her multifaceted career spans academia, social activism, and politics, with a focus on youth issues, human rights, and social development.
For the past decade, Dr. Amarasuriya served as a senior lecturer in Sociology at the Open University of Sri Lanka. In addition to her teaching responsibilities and revision of social science curricula, she was actively involved in administrative leadership roles at the University and also served as a Member of the University Grants Commission Standing Committee on Gender Equality and Equity since 2016. She was Secretary of the Open University Teachers Association (2012 & 2013) and the Assistant Secretary (2014 & 2015) and Secretary (2016) of the Federation of University Teachers Association, and was deeply involved in campaigning for increased funding commitments to education within the national budget.
As a researcher, Dr. Amarasuriya has published on elite politics, dissent, social justice, discrimination and social exclusion of youth, women headed households, child labour, institutionalised child-care, early marriage, well-being, education research and intellectual property. In 2014, Dr. Amarasuriya was the lead author on the National Human Development Report for Sri Lanka, and also participated in drafting the National Youth Policy of Sri Lanka that year.
In 2016, Dr. Amarasuriya served as a member of the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms in Sri Lanka (PRC) which was a Cabinet-appointed mechanism tasked with the first country-wide public consultations on constitutional reform, which were reported to Parliament.
Dr. Amarasuriya received her early education at Bishop's College, Colombo and pursued higher education abroad. She received a Bachelors degree in Sociology from the University of Delhi, and read for a Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology and Development Studies at the Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia where her dissertation was on female migrant workers. In 2011 she wrote her doctoral thesis on child protection in Sri Lanka, and received a PhD in Social Anthropology and International Health and Development from the University of Edinburgh and Queen Margaret University.
Dr. Amarasuriya’s early career involved working with services for community health, social care and inclusion of persons with mental illness, children in state and voluntary children’s homes, certified homes and places of detention, persons living with HIV/AIDS, especially in the districts of Gampaha, Galle, Colombo, Hambantota, Ampara and Mannar.
Dr. Amarasuriya also served for several years on the Boards of Nest, a Sri Lankan community health organization, CENWOR, a research organization working on women and gender issues in Sri Lanka, and Law and Society Trust, a research organization working on law and social issues in Sri Lanka.
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: About Us
- Hits: 850
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Dissanayake Mudyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968, in the village of Dewahuwa, Matale, to Dissanayake Mudyanselage Ranbanda, a surveyor’s assistant, and Seelawathi. He is the second child in the family.
Dissanayake began his education at Thambuttegama Primary School and later attended Thambuttegama Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, where he sat for the A-Level exams in the Science Mathematics stream. In 1992, he qualified for university and was accepted into the Faculty of Science at the University of Kelaniya. During his time at university, he was actively involved in social and political activities, including serving as president of the University Buddhist Association. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1995.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and prominent political leaders to emerge in Sri Lanka, largely due to his rise from outside the traditional political elite. He navigated numerous challenges within the progressive and populist political movement to make his mark on the national stage. His political journey began as a student, becoming active in 1987 when he joined the Socialist Students’ Union and participated in widespread protests against the Indo-Lanka Accord signed by the government at the time.
After the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) re-emerged from significant state repression, Dissanayake returned to active politics in 1993, establishing himself as a key student activist during his university years. With unwavering dedication, he worked to rebuild the Socialist Students’ Union, affiliated with the JVP, gaining widespread popularity across the university community under the name “Aravinda.”
In 1997, his efforts were recognized when he was appointed National Organizer of the Socialist Students’ Union, marking a pivotal moment in his political career. The same year, he was elected to the Central Committee of the JVP, and in 1998, he was further elevated to the party’s Political Bureau, cementing his role in the leadership of the party.
In the 1999 provincial council elections, Anura Kumara Dissanayake contested for the Central Provincial Council as the chief ministerial candidate for the Janata Vimukti Peramuna, marking his first significant foray into mass politics. He was elected to Parliament for the first time in the 2000 general election, running from the national list.
In 2001, Dissanayake played a pivotal role in the adoption of the 17th Constitution, successfully influencing a weakened government to implement a probationary program that included populist measures such as reducing farmers’ loans. In 2004, he was elected to Parliament representing the Kurunegala district, receiving the highest number of preferential votes. He was widely recognized for his service as Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation, and Livestock in the United People’s Freedom Alliance government established that same year. However, the Janata Vimukti Peramuna withdrew from the coalition government, citing concerns that the establishment of a Tsunami Relief Board would exacerbate separatism.
In 2008, Dissanayake became the leader of the JVP parliamentary group. He was re-elected to Parliament in 2010 as a member of the National List, representing the Democratic National Alliance, which includes the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
His political journey took a significant turn when he was elected as the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna during the 7th National Congress on February 2, 2014. Under his leadership, the party entered a new phase of popularization. He contested the 2015 general election from the Colombo district, securing a seat in Parliament. Dissanayake served as the chief organizer of the opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament from 2015 until December 14, 2018.
In August 2019, he helped establish a new political movement called the National People’s Power, uniting various political parties, civil organizations, and activists, including the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna. This initiative quickly gained support from citizens disenchanted with traditional political parties.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the candidate of the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP) in the 2019 presidential election, garnered 3.16% of the votes, totaling 418,553 in a highly competitive race. He was subsequently re-elected to Parliament in the 2020 general election.
In response to the ongoing economic crisis, Dissanayake played a crucial role in transforming the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP) into the largest progressive mass movement in Sri Lankan political history. He demonstrated remarkable courage and dedication in rallying support around this initiative. On December 20, 2021, at the inaugural National Conference of the National People’s Power, he was elected as its leader, with a mission to unite progressive individuals and foster collaboration within the movement.
Dissanayake contested as the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP) candidate for the 2024 presidential election. He has articulated a vision for a new renaissance for the nation, promising to introduce a new political culture that addresses the challenges faced by the people amid the economic crisis. His leadership is characterized by a strong political vision, sound decision-making, compelling communication skills, empathy, adaptability, and eloquence, which have resonated with the electorate. The public’s response indicates that they understand and support his message.
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: About Us
- Hits: 21690
The interview of H.E. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Ambassador of Sri Lanka for the USA.
Mahinda Samarasinghe, having completed two terms as a diplomatic representative in Australia and Switzerland, in 1988 entered representative politics through the Provincial Council system, later serving as Chief Government Whip and Chief Opposition Whip in Parliament. He held ofice during five Cabinets as a Minister holding seven portfolios. He also has held the post of elected Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians representing the 168-member countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, earning recognition and prestige for Sri Lanka. Let us, at the dawn of the New Year, discuss his contribution as the current Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States:
Q: In your role as Ambassador to the United States, are you satisfied with what you have achieved?
A: Yes. I have paved the way to serve the country over and above what I could do through political representation.
Q: What is this new pathway you have carved?
A: My background based on international experience and connections has been the basis for this. Previous leaders did not fully utilize my thirty years of being an elected representative and my experience. Former President Gotabhaya invited me to take on this Ambassadorship as Sri Lanka’s representative to the most powerful nation and because I could provide a greater service, I took on this responsibility. I have achieved more than I thought possible.
Q: What was your contribution to reviving a collapsed Sri Lankan economy?
A: I am someone who has tertiary education and experience in the economic field. It was with that foundation that I functioned in the United States. It was necessary to interact and work with a global organisation such as the IMF in order to restore international confidence in the Sri Lankan economy. On the advice of the former President, I discussed Sri Lanka’s economic challenges with the leadership of the organisation. Thereafter, two senior IMF oficials visited Sri Lanka and held discussions with the former President. One of those two is today the Governor of the Central Bank of Korea.
Within two to three days, the former President communicated to the IMF that we were ready for an IMF Programme. Consequently, if President Ranil Wickremesinghe had not taken a political decision to commit to domestic reform measures, IMF consent and financial support would not have been made available to the country.
Q: How have your interventions helped in Sri Lanka receiving medicine and related assistance?
A: Sri Lanka faced a shortage of medicines due to limitations of foreign reserves. The Ministry of Health, through the Ministry of Foreign Afairs, informed Embassies to seek medical assistance. A list of medical items required was communicated.
I contacted the heads of several institutions and organizations with which I had established contact. We were able to secure free medical assistance from these organizations to Sri Lanka. Within a short time, we were able to secure over USD Fifty-three Million (over LKR Sixteen Billion). It is a matter of pride for me and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington,
D.C. that we have been able to facilitate the provision of this assistance. High-cost medicines of a premium standard including heart and other cancer medicines were sent. We were able to also ensure that the cost of transportation was borne by American donors.
Q: In this efort, was the “Sri Lankan medical mafia” a hindrance or a problem? Did you have to face challenges?
A: Procuring free medical assistance from the United States of America was far easier than obtaining the approval from relevant authorities for the import of these medicines into Sri Lanka. I had to even communicate with the President on several occasions on this matter. Some honest oficials helped in this efort.
Q: Are you gaining any profit from sending more medicines to Sri Lanka…. or are Sri Lankans being lab-rats for American medical tests?
A: In which world are commissions earned from free medicines? It is only when medicines are purchased that commissions can be earned.
We have sent medicines of the highest globally accepted standards. These are not cheap sundried medicines like from other countries.
Q: Apart from medicines have you been able to gain any additional support for Sri Lanka from the United States?
A: USAID has provided USD Three Hundred Million over the past one and a half years to Sri Lanka. Fertilizer for the previous Maha season was provided. The DFC has provided USD One Billion in financial support to Sri Lanka. This includes USD Five Hundred and Fifty-three Million to the Colombo Western Terminal. We are talking to its head in order to bring a host of investments to Sri Lanka. We have facilitated assistance to Sri Lanka from a number of
U.S. agencies and institutions.
Q: You have been a minister, a member or an ambassador in every administration. How did that happen?
A: From 1988 in the Provincial Council and from 1994 in Parliament, I have been a popular representative elected by the people. During this period some leaders and some governments, recognizing my abilities, have utilized my services for the country. I am happy about it.
Q: This is an election year. Will you return to politics?
A: I can perform a greater service through this position than through politics. Many people acknowledge that I have proved this. I am ready to continue with this service for the country. It is because of strengthening diplomatic relations with the United States that much of the assistance is being received. We have also signed a bilateral agreement with Mexico which includes strengthening commercial ties.
Q: What is the message you would like to convey to the Sri Lankan people including the people of the Kalutara District for 2024?
A: Patience, respect for the law, unity, commitment to the country as well as rejection of corruption and waste should be the resolutions we make for 2024. Developed countries have reached their current stage not through magical means but through commitment to these ideals and Sri Lankans should dedicate themselves accordingly.
Facilitated by Ashoka Jayatunga (from Washington, D.C.)
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: About Us
- Hits: 33169
Chancery: 3025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20008
T.P. +1 (202)-483-4025
T.P. +1 (202)-483-4026
T.P. +1 (202) 580 9546 (Emergencies/After hours)
Fax: +1 (202)-232-2329
Email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Facebook - @slembassyusa https://www.facebook.com/slembassyusa/
Twitter - @EmbassyofSL https://mobile.twitter.com/EmbassyofSL
