Ranil Wickremesinghe Becomes New PM of Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, (IANS) – To end the current political deadlock, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

The oath was taken on May 12before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Vacated after the controversial resignation of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of President Gotabaya, Wickremesinghe is taking up the premiership for the record sixth time in the island nation.

On May 11 night, while addressing the nation President Gotabaya announced that a new PM and a government would be replaced for the positions vacated by his brother Mahinda and his government.

Gotabaya also said that he would work on reintroducing the 19th Amendment stripping powers of the Executive President which he himself enjoys and giving many powers to Parliament.

He also agreed to abolish the Presidential system. Rajapaksa said the new government would be run by a Prime Minister who can command the majority in Parliament.

However, it is not yet clear how Wickremesinghe, the leader of United National Party country’s oldest political party, now limited to just one seat out of 225 MPs could command the majority.