President pledges Cabinet of Under 25 Ministers

At an election promotional public rally in Kalutara, the president remarked, “We have a lot of work to do. To rebuild this country, we must first reform our politics. For too long, politics here has been treated as a business. Parliament has often been reduced to a spectacle member jumping around, using chili powder, bringing knives, and causing disruptions on the chamber floor.”

President Dissanayake also announced that November 14 would mark a national “Shramadhana” event focused on Parliament, a symbolic effort to "clean up" the legislature and eliminate corrupt practices.

He went on to condemn the shielding of lawmakers from accountability, referencing a recent no-confidence motion against the former health minister over alleged medicine theft. He described Parliament as a space dominated by “lawbreakers and extortionists” and noted that the political environment has become “unpleasant and corrupt.”

In addition, he shared plans to form a streamlined Cabinet of fewer than 25 ministers, emphasizing a renewed commitment to efficiency and integrity in governance.