FORMER PM OF SRI LANKA REAPPOINTED AMID CRISIS
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was reappointed on Thursday in an effort to bring stability to the island nation, which is 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 automatically dissolved the Cabinet, leaving an administrative vacuum.
The president’s selection of Wickremesinghe is an attempt to end the violence and restore international credibility as the government negotiates a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund.
Sri Lankans for months have been forced to stand in long lines to buy scarce essentials, with many returning empty-handed.
Wickremesinghe visited a Buddhist temple after taking his oath and told journalists he will work with the opposition and the governing party to find solutions to the hardships faced by the people.
Authorities on Wednesday deployed armored vehicles and troops in the streets of the capital after attacks on protesters triggered a wave of violence across the country. Nine people died and more than 200 were injured.
Security forces have been ordered to shoot people deemed to be participating in the violence as sporadic acts of arson and vandalism continued despite a strict nationwide curfew.
A court on Thursday banned former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his former government minister son and 15 others from traveling overseas pending the results of investigations on Monday’s attack against peaceful protesters who had demanded the resignation of the Rajapaksa brothers, which triggered the countrywide violence against Rajapaksa supporters.
Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned amid the violence.
Protesters had demanded the resignations of the Rajapaksa brothers because of the debt crisis that has nearly bankrupted the country and caused severe shortages.