Sri Lanka Turmoil : Vowing to revive 19th Amendment to Constitution, Ranil Wickremesinghe Sworn In As Interim President

Picture : Twitter/ ANI

Ranil Wickremesinghe has  pledged to maintain law and order and revive the 19th Amendment to the Constitution aimed at empowering Parliament over the executive president as he was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s interim president until the House elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa, currently in Singapore, emailed his resignation to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who said on Friday that he accepted his resignation, which he received late on Thursday. Rajapaksa’s resignation came two days after the embattled leader fled to the Maldives and then flew to Singapore in the face of massive protests against his government for mishandling the economy that bankrupted the country.

Wickremesinghe, 73, was sworn in as the acting president of Sri Lanka before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.

Addressing Parliament after he was sworn in as interim President, Wickremesinghe, who is also the prime minister, pledged to strictly maintain law and order in the country which has witnessed massive anti-government protests and occupation of key government buildings.

He said that the armed forces have been given the powers and the freedom to deal with any acts of violence and sabotage.