Ranil Wickremesinghe to take oath as new Sri Lanka PM today
India Today
After a closed-door meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last evening, it was announced that Ranil Wickremesinghe would take oath as the new PM of Sri Lanka today.
United National Party (UNP) Chief Ranil Wickremesinghe will take oaths as the Prime Minister at 6.30 pm today, his party confirmed, as per a report by Lanka Mirror.
Wickremesinghe, who held closed-door discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last evening, will take oath as the new prime minister following the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday.
After taking the oath, Wickremesinghe will visit a temple in Colombo and thereafter assume his duties.
Peaceful demonstrations have been going on in the island country protesting against the crippling economic crisis. In a heated protest, government loyalists attacked demonstrators leading to two days of deadly mob violence in the country.
Nearly 250 people have been injured in the violence in Colombo and other parts of the country. At least eight people have been killed in the violent protests even as the government imposed a nationwide curfew.
Several politicians' homes, including that of the Rajapaksa family, have been set on fire by anti-government protesters.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence ordered the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy personnel to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm to others.