Newly appointed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe expected to stabilize unsteady Sri Lanka, secure negotiation with IMF

Ranil Wickremesinghe has made a surprise return as crisis-torn Sri Lanka’s prime minister. His return is seen as an attempt to get the country rid of the violent anti-government protests and regain its international credibility and have negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Wickremesinghe, who has served as Prime Minister five times, took the oath in the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a ceremony held at the president’s office.

He has come up for the prime ministerial post when the country is grappling with a devastating economic crisis.  

“Wickremesinghe is also seen as the person who agreed to be prime minister when no one (else) was taking this challenge. It is a terrible time to be the prime minister in Sri Lanka,” said Sagala Ratnayaka, the United National Party’s national organizer.

He further said that the coming days will be quite tough for the new prime minister.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan president Rajapaksa took to Twitter to congratulate the newly appointed PM,

 The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka also welcomed the new prime minister and said it was looking forward to working with the new government. 

“He is being sworn in as prime minister this evening because several Members of Parliament have asked him to take over and solve the country’s problems,” Vajira Abeywardena, an official of the UNP, said Thursday.