Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as Sri Lanka's Prime Minister

Colombo: – Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka amid a severe economic and political crisis. The 73-year-old Wickremesinghe has once again taken over as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and faces the challenge of stabilising the country in a crisis. Given the dire situation in Sri Lanka, some political parties declared support for Wickremesinghe. Therefore, Ranil Wickramasinghe has once again become the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka despite not having representatives in the parliament.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa administered the oath as Prime Minister to Wickremesinghe. 73-year-old Ranil Wickremesinghe‘s United National Party (UNP) had a crushing failure in the 2020 elections. But taking into account the current situation, Wickremesinghe has been entrusted with the responsibility of Prime Minister, given his vast political experience. It is hoped that Sri Lanka will get foreign assistance under his leadership, which will help rebuild the economy and internal systems.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka welcomed the appointment of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. India will do its utmost to support the new Sri Lankan government, the Indian High Commission has said. Despite all this, the political crisis in Sri Lanka is still not averted. A no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be tabled in the Sri Lankan parliament on May 17. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that a new President will follow the new Prime Minister in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and 15 of his colleagues not to leave the country. The Sri Lankan people, who were troubled by food shortages, price rises, fuel problems, and electricity issues, took to the streets and forced Rajapaksa to resign. The angry protestors even torched his house. As a result, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family had to be shifted to a safer place by helicopter. He is currently said to be under the protection of the Sri Lankan Navy.

Rajapaksa will have to face an inquiry into corruption and malpractices in the coming days. Thus, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered Rajapaksa and his colleagues not to leave the country. It was during Rajapaksa’s reign that Sri Lanka’s decline began. Rajapaksa, in particular, had taken a loan from China at a high-interest rate and had put Sri Lanka in the trap of Chinese debt. Because of him, Sri Lanka was forced to hand over the strategically important Hambantota port to China for 99 years. The economic crisis in Sri Lanka deepened, given the Coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war that followed. All the past malpractices of Rajapaksa were exposed to the Sri Lankan people. The repercussions of this seem to be brewing in Sri Lanka right now.