Sri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has sworn in an opposition lawmaker as his prime minister, making her the country’s first woman to head the government in 24 years

Marxist-leaning firebrand Anura Kumara Dissanayake, whose tax cut pledges won over many of the two-thirds of his people mired in poverty, takes power as Sri Lanka emerges from its most punishing economic crisis in 70 years and its first international debt default.

The International Monetary Fund said it’s looking forward to working with Sri Lanka’s newly elected leftist president, including on the latest review of the country’s $3 billion bailout package.