Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president has sworn in a 21-member Cabinet after his party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in last week's election.

Unveiling the full list of Cabinet ministers, Dissanayake announced Harini Amarasuriya as the Prime Minister, who will also be the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968, in Thambuththegama, Sri Lanka, into a working-class family. His father was a labourer, and his mother a housewife. Mr Dissanayake was involved in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party during his school years and was the first student from the college chosen for admission into the university.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of Sri Lanka’s leftist coalition, the National People's Power (NPP), has emerged victorious in th..|News Track

The working class will rapidly come into conflict with the JVP/NPP government, which while posturing as anti-establishment, is a right-wing communalist party committed to imposing IMF austerity.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya waves to her party National People's Power (NPP) supporters during a rally on the last day of campaigning for the 17th Parliamentary Election in Piliyandala suburb in Colombo,

By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake retained the key finance minister portfolio and reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister on Monday as the Indian Ocean island nation targets stronger recovery from a draining financial crisis.