Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as Sri Lankan President

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in Thursday as president of the crisis-hit island nation, with plans to form a unity government to manage the turmoil.
The 73-year-old veteran politician, who was overwhelmingly elected as head of state in a parliamentary vote Wednesday, took his oath of office with the country’s police chief and top military brass standing behind him.
Official sources said the new leader was expected to shortly form a cabinet to steer the country out of its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who had supported a rival presidential candidate in Wednesday’s vote, said he had met with Wickremesinghe to discuss how to protect the country from further “misery and disaster.” “We as an opposition will provide our constructive support for efforts to alleviate human suffering,” Premadasa tweeted on Thursday.
Wickremesinghe’s cabinet is expected to include several opposition lawmakers.
A foreign exchange crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and exacerbated by mismanagement has left Sri Lanka suffering lengthy power blackouts and record-high inflation. – AFP