Sri Lanka crisis: Ranil Wickremesinghe likely to swear in as PM today, say reports

Leader of the center-right political party United National Party and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is likely to swear in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at 6:30 pm today days after the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa, as per a Lanka Mirror report.  According to this report, Wickremsinghe held closed-door discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last evening.  

After his swearing-in, Wickremesinghe is likely to visit a temple in Colombo and thereafter assume his duties.  

Meanwhile, the Fort Magistrate’s Court has issued a travel ban on Mahinda Rajapaksa, MP Namal Rajapaksa, MP Johnston Fernando and 14 others due to the investigations taking place on attacks on peaceful protest sites on Monday.  

This order was also imposed on MPs Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Sanjeewa Edirimanne, Kanchana Jayaratne, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, CB Ratnayake, Sampath Athukorala, Renuka Perera, Sanath Nishantha, Senior DIG Deshabandhu Thennakoon among others.  

Earlier today, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had said that he will consider abolishing executive presidency in Sri Lanka, a move that can curb his powers. Abolition of executive presidency, if materialized, could very well lead to constitutional democracy. This has been one of the many demands of the Lankan opposition parties.  

President Rajapaksa said on Twitter that steps will be taken to form a new government to prevent the country from “falling into anarchy and to maintain affairs of the state that have come to a halt.” He added that a Prime Minister who commands the majority in Parliament and is able to secure people’s confidence will be appointed within this week.  

Rajapaksa added that the new government will be empowered to take the country forward and that more steps will be taken to amend the Constitution to re-enact the contents of the 19th Amendment.  

Amid the political upheaval and tense law and order situation in the island nation, many Sri Lankans have fled Colombo to return to their hometown. People have been impacted badly by shortages of fuel, food, medicine and other essential supplies in the island nation, as per a Reuters report.  

(With inputs from Lanka Mirror, Reuters)

Also read: Sri Lanka: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa vows to shed powers, appoint new PM