NE NEWS SERVICE
COLOMBO, MAY 12
Amid the political turmoil in the country, Leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed as the next Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. According to a report by Daily Mirror, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the country’s Prime Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Earlier it was reported that the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, would be announcing the new PM and a cabinet by the end of this week. The new cabinet will command a majority in the 225-seat parliament, the President had said in a statement.
Notably, Wickremesinghe’s name was recommended for the next Prime Minister of Sri Lanka after former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on May 9 as the island country is reeling under the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. Ranil has been the leader of the United National Party since 1994 and has served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka four times: from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019. From 1994 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015, he was the Leader of the Opposition.
73-year-old Wickremesinghe, who has served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka four times, was ousted in October 2018 by the then President Maithripala Sirisena. However, he was reinstated as Prime Minister after two months by Sirisena. Members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a faction of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and a number of other parties have voiced their support for Wickremesinghe winning a majority in Parliament, the premier news agency PTI reported citing sources. Wickremesinghe is widely regarded as a leader capable of managing the economy through far-sighted strategies and also as a politician capable of commanding international collaboration.
Ousted PM Mahinda Rajapaksa also congratulated Wickremesinghe on his appointment amid deteriorating socio-economic scenario of Sri Lanka.
