Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as interim President

Colombo, Jul 15: Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as the interim President after Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena accepted the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Acting President before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.

 

 

 

 

Wickremesinghe was appointed as the acting President by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Jul 13 after the latter fled to the Maldives due to the massive protest demanding his resignation. Gotabaya Rajapaksa submitted his resignation letter yesterday after arriving in Singapore, officially vacating the post of President.

 

 

 

 

 

According to ANI, Parliament Speaker Abeywarden, "Yes, the resignation (of President) has been accepted, the legal process will follow... Members will be invited tomorrow (to elect a President)." Addressing the presser, Abeywardena said that from Jul 14, the President has legally resigned from his legal duties and responsibilities.

 

Abeywardena said that the President will be selected according to the provisions of the Special Provisions Act No. 2 of 1981 and Article 40 of the Constitution. "It is my intention to complete this procedure successfully and speedily. As the oldest democracy in the South Asian region holding Democratic traditions sacred, completing this process in a transparent and Democratic manner would be a milestone not only in the history of Sri Lanka but also in the Democratic history of the world," the Speaker added.