Sri Lankan prime minister appointed as acting president
Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed as the country’s acting president, speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana announced on Wednesday.
In a statement broadcast on TV, Mr Abeywardena said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who left the country earlier in the day, had given the authority for Mr Wickremesinghe to act on his behalf.
Mr Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives on an air force flight after weeks of protests and the storming of his office on Saturday.
Mr Wickremesinghe,73, was appointed as the prime minister by Mr Rajapaksa after they held a closed-door discussion on Wednesday.
Mr Wickremesinghe, who served as the country’s prime minister four times, was in October 2018 fired from the post by Sri Lanka’s seventh president, Maithripala Sirisena.
However, he was reinstalled as the prime minister by Mr Sirisena after two months.
(dpa/NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Lagos
Another storey building collapses in Lagos
The occupants escaped before the building came crashing down.
States
Ekiti man to die by hanging for robbing, killing elder brother
The convict robbed his older brother of his Bajaj motorcycle while armed with a gun.
States
Kuje prison escapee found in Ogun
Mr Oyeyemi explained that Mr Abdulmumuni, 28, was arrested following information received by policemen at Divisional Headquarters, Sango-Ota.
Sport
Sterling confirms City exit in emotional farewell message
Several reports confirm that the English forward has completed his £45 million transfer to Chelsea with his medical done on Tuesday.
Sport
Chelsea out as Barcelona, Leeds agree £55 deal for Raphinha
The transfer has put paid to Chelsea’s push to sign the forward also coveted by fellow Londoners, Arsenal.
Health
Anambra to build lab for monkeypox, other contagious diseases
The Anambra government says a laboratory has been established to diagnose cases of monkeypox and other contagious diseases in the state.
