Colombo: Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s 26th prime minister on Thursday, after his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign following violent protests over the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden island nation.
The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader took oath before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a ceremony at the President’s Office after in-camera discussions on the formation of a new government to deal with the economic crisis.
“My best wishes to the newly appointed Prime Minister of #LKA, @RW_UNP, who stepped up to undertake the daunting task of steering our country through very turbulent times. I look forward to working closely with him to make Sri Lanka stronger again.” Look forward to,” President Gotabaya tweeted along with a picture of him and Wickremesinghe.
Soon after his appointment, Wickremesinghe promised to end the national crisis and revive the island nation’s economy.
I have taken up the challenge to lift the economy and I have to meet it: Sri Lanka’s new PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, in Colombo pic.twitter.com/73arzUeb9a
Sri Lanka has not had a government since Monday, when Gotabaya’s elder brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned after violence erupted after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters. The attack triggered widespread violence against Rajapaksa loyalists, in which nine people were killed.
Mahinda quickly congratulated Wickremesinghe, saying that he wishes him the best as he navigates “these troubled times”. “Congratulations to the newly appointed Prime Minister of #lka, @RW_UNP. I wish you all the best as you navigate these difficult times,” Mahinda, who was under security at the naval base after violent attacks on his colleagues, tweeted.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo said it looked forward to working with the new Sri Lankan government, formed in accordance with democratic procedures.
It tweeted, “The Indian High Commission looks forward to political stability and looks forward to working with the Government of Sri Lanka constituted in accordance with democratic procedures following the swearing-in of Hon’ble @RW_UNP as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.”
It said India’s commitment to the people of Sri Lanka will continue. Sources said the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a section of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balvegaya (SJB) and several other parties have expressed their support for showing a majority for Wickremesinghe in Parliament.
However, several factions opposed the move to appoint Wickremesinghe as the new prime minister.
Lawyer-turned-politician Wickremesinghe, who has been in Parliament for 45 years, has served as Prime Minister on the last four occasions. He was ousted from the post of Prime Minister by the then President Maithripala Sirisena in October 2018. However, he was re-installed as Prime Minister by Sirisena two months later.
He is widely acknowledged as a man who can manage the economy with visionary policies and is regarded as a Sri Lankan politician who can command international cooperation.
The UNP, the country’s oldest party, failed to win a single seat from the districts, including Wickremesinghe, who contested the 2020 parliamentary elections from Colombo, a UNP stronghold.
They later found their way into parliament through the only national list allocated to the UNP on the basis of the cumulative national vote. His deputy, Sajith Premadasa, led the split SJB and became the main opposition.
Wickremesinghe’s former deputy Premadasa had declined the president’s original invitation to become prime minister. He insisted that the President should resign as a precondition. Premadasa later softened his stand and sought a deadline from the President to step down. However, the President replied that he would appoint Wickremesinghe as the new Prime Minister.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is partly due to a lack of foreign exchange, meaning the country cannot pay for imports of staple foods and fuels, leading to an acute economic crisis. Scarcity and very high prices.
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