WICKREMESINGHE RETURNS FOR HIS 6TH PM STINT IN SRI LANKA

COLOMBO: Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was reappointed Thursday in an effort to bring stability to the island nation, engulfed in a political and economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe, a contentious choice by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, took his oath in a ceremony at the president’s residence. Protesters have blocked the entrance to the president’s office for more than a month. The president’s brother, Mahinda Rajakapsa, resigned as prime minister on Monday following violent attacks by supporters on peaceful anti-government protesters. His resignation dissolved the Cabinet, leaving an administrative vacuum.

The president’s selection of Wickremesinghe is an attempt to end violence triggered by the crisis and restore international credibility.

The new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, 73, has been in parliament for 45 years. He has wide international connections and is seen as a capable negotiator. He is the leader of the United National Party (UNP) since 1994

HE SERVED AS PM FROM

1993 to 1994

2001 to 2004

2015 to 2015 (100 days) 2015 to 2018

2018 to 2019

Wickremesinghe was leader of the oppn from 1994 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015

DEFYING ODDS TO STAGE COMEBACK

His political party split in 2020 amid a leadership crisis and most senior members left to form a new party, which is currently the country’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by Sajith Premadasa, son of late president Ranasinghe Premadasa

Wickremesinghe’s reputation was damaged during his previous term as PM, when he was in a difficult power sharing arrangement with then president Maithripala Sirisena. An internal conflict and communication breakdown between him and Sirisena was blamed for intelligence lapses that led to Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in 2019 that killed more than 260 people

Wickremesinghe was also accused of shielding a friend he appointed as head of the Central Bank from allegations of insider trading