Pardafas Reporter
Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the new President of Sri Lanka by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at the Parliament, amid the country’s economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 21, 2022Reuters
Sri Lanka's Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as president, amid hopes that he will pull the country out of its economic suffering.
The 73-year-old took his oath at the tightly-guarded parliament complex on Thursday morning before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at a ceremony held in Parliament in the capital, Colombo. He now can choose a new prime minister.
Mr. Wickremesinghe - the former prime minister - is seen as deeply unpopular with the public, but some protesters have said they will give him a chance.
Wickremesinghe, 73, has wide experience in diplomatic and international affairs and has been overseeing the bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Lawmakers apparently considered him the safer hand to lead the nation through the crisis, despite public anger at Wickremesinghe as an example of the nation's problematic political establishment. During demonstrations last week, crowds set his personal residence on fire and occupied his office.
Sri Lanka is currently in the grip of mass unrest over an economic crisis.
The six-time Prime Minister had never held the top job. But he easily won the secret ballot of lawmakers on July 20 to finish the term of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
