Tue Feb 04 10:11:10 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lankan President Calls for Unity in Economic Recovery
**Colombo, Sri Lanka –** Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged national unity in his Independence Day address on February 4th, 2025. Speaking at the 77th Independence Day celebrations, a significantly scaled-down event reflecting the government’s austerity measures, President Dissanayake emphasized the need for collective action to achieve economic freedom, rather than being vulnerable to global economic fluctuations.
The President’s address highlighted the ongoing efforts to recover from the 2022 economic crisis. This year’s celebrations featured a reduced military parade and air show, showcasing the government’s commitment to minimizing state expenditures.
Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) party achieved a historic victory in the November 2024 parliamentary elections, securing a two-thirds majority and unprecedented support from Tamil regions. This marks the first time a government has won such a significant majority since 1989. The President has also overseen the completion of the country’s long-delayed external debt restructuring, a process initiated by his predecessor. Sri Lanka declared its first sovereign default in 2022. The President’s emphasis on national unity and economic self-reliance signals a continued focus on navigating the country’s ongoing economic challenges.
First Piper 