Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in as the new Prime Minister
Gunawardena's swearing in ceremony took place several hours after security forces cleared a protest camp near the presidential palace and arrested several people.
Colombo: Veteran politician Dinesh Gunawardena has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, here on Friday.
Gunawardena who is a longtime ally of the Rajapaksa political family was appointed as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister on Friday just hours after security forces moved in and cleared the main protest site occupied for months in the capital, by demonstrators demonstrating against the Rajapaksa family and blaming them for the country’s economic collapse.
Gunawardena’s swearing in ceremony took place several hours after security forces cleared a protest camp near the presidential palace and arrested several people. At least two journalists and two lawyers were beaten by security forces.
Gunawardena, 73 and belongs to a prominent political family of Sri Lanka and is also a schoolmate of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Sri Lankans have taken to the streets for months demanding their leaders resign over an economic crisis, including President Wickremesinghe, that has left the 22 million people of the island nation short of essentials like medicine, food and fuel.
