Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Highlight
- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced on Wednesday that he would appoint a new PM.
- His announcement came after former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post.
- The President is constitutionally empowered to run the country without a cabinet.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced on Wednesday that he will appoint a new prime minister and a cabinet this week.
His announcement comes after former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post amid violent clashes across the country as it goes through its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.
“I will appoint a youth cabinet without Rajapaksa,” Gotabaya said, starting talks with political parties to prevent the country from heading towards anarchy. “The prime minister of the new government will be given an opportunity to formulate a new program and take this country forward,” he said.
Sri Lanka has had no government for the past two days following the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of President Gotabaya, paving the way for an all-party interim government.
The President is constitutionally empowered to run the country without a cabinet.
Speaking on the violence in the country earlier this week, he said that what happened on May 9 was very unfortunate. “The series of heinous acts of murder, assault, intimidation, destruction of property and the aftermath cannot be justified at all,” the president said.
Gotabaya said that the Inspector General of Police has been directed to conduct the investigation.
He also said that the Sri Lanka Police and the three armed forces have been ordered to strictly enforce the law against the perpetrators of violence.
(with PTI inputs)
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