(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Leader of the United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn-in Sunday for a fifth time as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka ending a nearly two-months long political crisis.
UNP leader Mr. Wickremesinghe took oaths before President Maithripala Sirisena at the auspicious time of 11:16 yesterday (16) at the Presidential Secretariat.
President Sirisena set off an unprecedented political crisis 50 days ago when he ousted Mr. Wickremesinghe from the Prime Minister post on October 26 and replaced him with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
However, when Rajapaksa failed to secure majority in the 225-member parliament, the President dissolved the parliament and called snap elections.
The President’s move was challenged in the Supreme Court and the apex court ruled that the President acted unconstitutionally.
A lower court also suspended the purported Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet from functioning leaving the country without a functioning government for nearly two weeks.
After the top court denied Rajapaksa’s request to vacate the Appellate Court’s order, the disputed Prime Minister resigned on Saturday paving the way for President to appoint Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister again averting a looming government shutdown.
It is expected a new cabinet will be formed by Monday and a vote on account will be passed to provide for the required provisions until a budget for 2019 is formulated.
