I Win People Win

• AKD to take oaths today at Presidential Secretariat  
• The President-elect says will ensure economic stability as first priority  
• Will not take in members from other political parties
• Will get help from business community, foreign countries to develop economy

By JAMILA HUSAIN  
Leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday vowed to bring in economic stability as his first priority and said his victory was a victory of the people.  
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mirror soon after he was informed of his victory as the new President of Sri Lanka, Dissanayake said that people were awaiting a change for a long time and his victory was an advantage to the people who were expecting him to bring in a change.  

The President-elect also said as soon as he takes his oaths as the new President, he will begin work to ensure economic stability in the country and for that he sought the assistance of the business community.   
“We also hope the foreign countries will assist us in this endeavour,” Dissanayake said while speaking from his office in Colombo.   
When questioned if he would take in members from other political parties to join him to lead the country forward, Dissanayake said he was not willing to take in members from other political parties.   
Fifty-five-year-old Dissanayake will take oaths as the ninth Executive President of Sri Lanka at a simple ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat today, sources from the NPP told Daily Mirror last evening.  
Dissanayake’s parliamentary seat which will then fall vacant will be filled by the next member on the NPP list after which the President-elect will then hold discussions with his senior party members.  
In this event if Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigns, then the cabinet will automatically stand dissolved. If this happens today, Dissanayake will appoint 4 ministers where 15 portfolios will be divided equally until a Parliamentary election is successfully concluded and a new government is elected.   
Dissanayake will also then meet with the Elections Commission and his team to discuss the possibility of how soon a Parliamentary Election can be held.