The opposition parties in Sri Lanka have criticised President Ranil Wickremesinghe for expanding his cabinet amid the country's economic crisis.

It comes after Wickremesinghe announced the addition of 37 state ministers, including lawmakers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe who were sworn in as state ministers in the finance ministry.

Buffeted by runaway annual inflation that stands at almost 65 per cent, the veteran lawmaker has faced an uphill struggle to stabilise the economy.

Since its independence from Britain in 1948, the island of 22 million people is facing its worst economic turmoil.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankas-22nd-constitutional-amendment-limiting-president-powers-to-become-a-law-soon-513181" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka's 22nd constitutional amendment which limits president powers to become a law soon</a>

Stemming from economic mismanagement, the crisis worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out its key tourism industry.

Leaving the country struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, food and medicine, foreign exchange reserves have dropped to historic lows.

Following mass protests in July, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was the country's prime minister, resigned from their respective positions.

Although an uphill battle to negotiate repayments of billions of dollars with creditors, Sri Lanka secured a staff-level agreement for a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this month.

Extending financing assurances to the crisis-hit island nation, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington will support the restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The opposition parties in Sri Lanka have criticised President Ranil Wickremesinghe for expanding his cabinet amid the country's economic crisis. It comes after Wickremesinghe announced the addition of 37 state ministers, including lawmakers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe who were sworn in as state ministers in the finance ministry.

The opposition parties in Sri Lanka have criticised President Ranil Wickremesinghe for expanding his cabinet amid the country's economic crisis. It comes after Wickremesinghe announced the addition of 37 state ministers, including lawmakers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe who were sworn in as state ministers in the finance ministry. Buffeted by runaway annual inflation that stands at almost 65 per cent, the veteran lawmaker has faced an uphill struggle to stabilise the economy. Since its independence from Britain in 1948, the island of 22 million people is facing its worst economic turmoil. Also read | Sri Lanka's 22nd constitutional amendment which limits president powers to become a law soon Stemming from economic mismanagement, the crisis worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out its key tourism industry. Leaving the country struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, food and medicine, foreign exchange reserves have dropped to historic lows. Following mass protests in July, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was the country's prime minister, resigned from their respective positions. Although an uphill battle to negotiate repayments of billions of dollars with creditors, Sri Lanka secured a staff-level agreement for a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this month. Extending financing assurances to the crisis-hit island nation, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington will support the restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Sri Lanka: Opposition parties criticise President Ranil Wickremesinghe for expanding his cabinet

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka has unveiled fresh economic measures on Tuesday. The aim of the new reforms is to clinch a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. The reforms raise tax rates and increase payout to the poor.

WION Dispatch: Sri Lankan President presents first budget with hopes of IMF loan

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to present an interim budget today, seeking enhanced expenditure and borrowing limits for his cash-strapped government.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to present an interim budget today

Is Gotabaya Rajapaksa plotting a return to Sri Lanka? Reports claim president Ranil Wickremesinghe spoke to Gotabaya about his possible return to the country. How will the public respond to such a return? Why is Gotabaya taking this gamble? Mariam Wardak tells you.

South Asia Diary | Is Gotabaya Rajapaksa returning to Sri Lanka?

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is still struggling with economic crisis and interim budget might include a rise in income tax. Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for all-party unity.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis: Ranil Wickremesinghe hints at wealth tax

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is struggling with one question, how to come out of the crisis? For months now Columbo has kept the International Monetary Fund busy. The debt advisors are working round the clock to formulate an exit plan, this includes negotiation with creditors convincing them to restructure the plan and finally make debt sustainable.

Sri Lanka to negotiate with creditors & restructure debt

Sri Lanka's newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe has unveiled his new 25-year long plan and he has done this to cut public debt.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe cracks whip against demonstrators

Referring to the threats made by the protesters, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated on Sunday that there is no point in demanding him to ‘go home.’ The leader said, "I am appealing to you not to do that as I have no home to go to." He further said that there was no use in demanding a man to go home if he had no place to live, adding that the protesters could demand him to return after his house had been repaired. Speaking in Kandy, Wickremesinghe claimed that some people had threatened to hold a protest calling for him to return, ANI reported.

According to the Colombo Gazette, the president demanded that the demonstrators either rebuild the nation or his home. As per,&nbsp;Ranil, the protests slowed down a potential agreement with the IMF that had been moving forward after he took office as Prime Minister.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/can-chinese-ship-snoop-on-india-from-sri-lanka-port-india-raises-concerns-502609">Can Chinese ship snoop on India from Sri Lanka port? India raises concerns</a>

Ranil urged all the political parties to join hands in order to find a long-term solution to the country’s economic crisis. He continued that it’s pointless to blame former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the economic problem.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/millions-found-inside-gotabaya-rajapaksas-house-produced-before-court-502283">Millions found inside Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house produced before court</a>

Notably, on July 9, enraged by the extraordinary economic crisis in the country, protesters broke into the private mansion of the then-prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and set it on fire. They barged into the property just a few hours earlier, demanding the resignation of the then-president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and tore down police-erected security barriers, jumped into the pool, and ransacked his kitchen and house.

The country has been dealing with its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Referring to the threats made by the protesters, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated on Sunday that there is no point in demanding him to ‘go home.’ The leader said, "I am appealing to you not to do that as I have no home to go to.

Referring to the threats made by the protesters, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated on Sunday that there is no point in demanding him to ‘go home.’ The leader said, "I am appealing to you not to do that as I have no home to go to." He further said that there was no use in demanding a man to go home if he had no place to live, adding that the protesters could demand him to return after his house had been repaired. Speaking in Kandy, Wickremesinghe claimed that some people had threatened to hold a protest calling for him to return, ANI reported. According to the Colombo Gazette, the president demanded that the demonstrators either rebuild the nation or his home. As per, Ranil, the protests slowed down a potential agreement with the IMF that had been moving forward after he took office as Prime Minister. Also read | Can Chinese ship snoop on India from Sri Lanka port? India raises concerns Ranil urged all the political parties to join hands in order to find a long-term solution to the country’s economic crisis. He continued that it’s pointless to blame former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the economic problem. Also read | Millions found inside Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house produced before court Notably, on July 9, enraged by the extraordinary economic crisis in the country, protesters broke into the private mansion of the then-prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and set it on fire. They barged into the property just a few hours earlier, demanding the resignation of the then-president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and tore down police-erected security barriers, jumped into the pool, and ransacked his kitchen and house. The country has been dealing with its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

‘No home to go’: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe responds to protesters' threat

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday that an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been pushed back to September due to the unrest over the weeks.

IMF agreement has been rescheduled for September, says Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday decided to prorogue Parliament with effect from midnight. According to the extraordinary gazette issued, the next session will commence on August 3, 2022.

Sri Lanka: President Ranil Wickremesinghe prorogues parliament with effect from midnight

Amid the ongoing economic and political turmoil Sri Lanka has extended its state of emergency for a month. The Sri Lankan parliament approved the extension on Wednesday to get a grip on the island nation's worst economic crisis in seven decades.

Lankan parliament formally approves extension of state of emergency for a month

From election defeat in 2020 to winning the presidency in 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe has scripted one of the greatest comebacks in Sri Lanka's political history. How are protesters reacting to the new President?

South Asia Dairy: Ranil Wickremesinghe's grand comeback

This week on South Asia Diary with Mariam Wardak. Watch the rise of Ranil Wickremesinghe. Meet India's mango man. Afghan teens slog away in coal mines. Nepal's gender push in tourism sector

South Asia Diary: The rise of Ranil Wickremesinghe

For past several months, Sri Lanka is witnessing serious political instability and unprecedented economic turmoil. The overwhelming perception in Sri Lanka and elsewhere is that the economic crisis in Sri Lanka was caused by nepotism, corruption and above all wrong policies pursued by the government led by the Rajapaksa brothers and their family members in high positions.&nbsp;

The mismanagement of economy resulted in distortions in agricultural sector impacting adversely on food and tea production, huge foreign debts, inadequate foreign exchange reserves. Ultimately this led to a situation when the country ran out of most essential commodities including food and fuel and unmanageably high inflation rates. The popular anti-government civil society movement which began in earnest in April 2022 led initially to the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and later the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July this year.

The election on 20th July of Ranil Wickremesinghe as President of Sri Lanka and the appointment on 22nd July of Dinesh Gunawardena as the country’s prime minister was an outcome of peaceful transfer of power within the framework of Sri Lanka’s constitution. Will it put an end to political instability and pave the way for the new government to focus on economic recovery?.&nbsp;

Both, President Ranil Wickramasinghe and PM Dinesh Gunawardena in their early seventies are seasoned politicians. Ranil Wickremesinghe has held the position of prime minister for six times whereas Dinesh Gunawerdana has wide experience of dealing with international community in his capacity as former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. He has held other ministerial posts also.

The challenges ahead, however, are enormous. First and foremost is the question of popular perceptions and acceptability. Both these leaders are considered as the protégés of Rajapaksas. &nbsp;The popularity ratings of Ranil Wickremesinghe in particular are very low. He is credited more with failures than successes. However, he is gifted with an acumen that has helped him revive his sagging political fortunes repeatedly and earned him the knick name of “The Fox”.&nbsp;

In 2020 elections, Ranil’s party UNP had won only one out of 225 seats in the Parliament. Yet due to his proximity with Rajapaksa brothers, he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Gotbaya Rajapaksa when his brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign in the wake of popular agitation. &nbsp;He owes his election as President to the support he received in the Parliament from the SLPP i.e. the party led by the Rajapaksa brothers.&nbsp;

The son of the iconic Marxist politician Philip Gunawardena, Dinesh Gunawardena started his political career as a leftist and trade unionist but has been associated with Rajapaksas for over two decades and is labelled as their staunch loyalist. He is considered a strong supporter of the executive presidency and is said to be opposed to greater power sharing with Tamils.

Further, the 18 Member Cabinet sworn in on 22nd &nbsp;July is being described as a “continuity government” in as much as almost all previous Ministers have been re-appointed. There is no clarity at the moment of any possible much-talked-about “national unity government” in near future.&nbsp;

In short, it may not be an exaggeration to say that the Rajapaksa brothers are back in power in their new incarnations known to rest of the world as Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dinesh Gunawardena. Proverbially, the people of Sri Lanka now have old wine in new bottle or perhaps the bottle is also old.

Meanwhile, the civil society activists have vowed to continue their agitation till&nbsp;President&nbsp;Ranil Wickremesinghe also resigns. The president is obviously not in a mood to oblige. In one of his first acts as president, Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered a pre-dawn military raid at Colombo’s main anti-government agitation site in which at least three activists were brutally assaulted by soldiers despite the protesters promising to vacate the area by 2 pm,&nbsp; Friday, 23rd July.&nbsp;

It remains to be seen as to whether the civil society will be able to sustain its peaceful agitation over a period of time which besides President’s resignation,&nbsp;is making several other demands such as abolition of executive presidency, mid-term elections and restructuring of economy. The SL Government must exercise restraint in dealing with public agitation and the public must keep their agitation peaceful. A semblance of political and social stability in the country is vital for invoking investors’ as well as tourists’ &nbsp;confidence.

The bigger challenge before the new political dispensation in Colombo is in securing quick economic recovery, particularly in areas that impact directly on the daily life of the citizens; in short, the government must take measures to contain inflation, arrange supplies of essential commodities at affordable prices.&nbsp;

President Wickremesinghe hopes to carry forward his dialogue with IMF for a relief/bailout package to its logical conclusion. Will that alone be sufficient? A Donor conference is being planned in Japan. Again will there be adequate pledges? And what steps such as strict austerity measures are the Sri Lankans willing to take to ease the situation?

Sri Lanka is India’s close neighbour with age-old historical and religious and cultural ties. Unstable Sri Lanka has implications for India. In recent past India has extended aid and assistance worth almost USD 4 billion&nbsp;in the form of lines of credits, supply of essential commodities etc. &nbsp;India remains committed to help Sri Lanka but there are limits to which India alone can assist. The need of the hour is that individual countries, international financial institutions must come forward and rescue Sri Lanka at least from total collapse. &nbsp;

There is no evidence that China, which is a part of Sri Lanka’s current problems, is also willing to be a part of solutions. Above all the SL Government will have to think out of the box and quickly embark upon course correction while the people of Sri Lanka must be prepared to display patience for some time. Overall, the journey to even partial recovery can be slow, difficult and even painful.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

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For past several months, Sri Lanka is witnessing serious political instability and unprecedented economic turmoil. The overwhelming perception in Sri Lanka and elsewhere is that the economic crisis in Sri Lanka was caused by nepotism, corruption and above all wrong policies pursued by the government led by the Rajapaksa brothers and their family members in high positions.

For past several months, Sri Lanka is witnessing serious political instability and unprecedented economic turmoil. The overwhelming perception in Sri Lanka and elsewhere is that the economic crisis in Sri Lanka was caused by nepotism, corruption and above all wrong policies pursued by the government led by the Rajapaksa brothers and their family members in high positions. The mismanagement of economy resulted in distortions in agricultural sector impacting adversely on food and tea production, huge foreign debts, inadequate foreign exchange reserves. Ultimately this led to a situation when the country ran out of most essential commodities including food and fuel and unmanageably high inflation rates. The popular anti-government civil society movement which began in earnest in April 2022 led initially to the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and later the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July this year. The election on 20th July of Ranil Wickremesinghe as President of Sri Lanka and the appointment on 22nd July of Dinesh Gunawardena as the country’s prime minister was an outcome of peaceful transfer of power within the framework of Sri Lanka’s constitution. Will it put an end to political instability and pave the way for the new government to focus on economic recovery?. Both, President Ranil Wickramasinghe and PM Dinesh Gunawardena in their early seventies are seasoned politicians. Ranil Wickremesinghe has held the position of prime minister for six times whereas Dinesh Gunawerdana has wide experience of dealing with international community in his capacity as former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. He has held other ministerial posts also. The challenges ahead, however, are enormous. First and foremost is the question of popular perceptions and acceptability. Both these leaders are considered as the protégés of Rajapaksas. The popularity ratings of Ranil Wickremesinghe in particular are very low. He is credited more with failures than successes. However, he is gifted with an acumen that has helped him revive his sagging political fortunes repeatedly and earned him the knick name of “The Fox”. In 2020 elections, Ranil’s party UNP had won only one out of 225 seats in the Parliament. Yet due to his proximity with Rajapaksa brothers, he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Gotbaya Rajapaksa when his brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign in the wake of popular agitation. He owes his election as President to the support he received in the Parliament from the SLPP i.e. the party led by the Rajapaksa brothers. The son of the iconic Marxist politician Philip Gunawardena, Dinesh Gunawardena started his political career as a leftist and trade unionist but has been associated with Rajapaksas for over two decades and is labelled as their staunch loyalist. He is considered a strong supporter of the executive presidency and is said to be opposed to greater power sharing with Tamils. Further, the 18 Member Cabinet sworn in on 22nd July is being described as a “continuity government” in as much as almost all previous Ministers have been re-appointed. There is no clarity at the moment of any possible much-talked-about “national unity government” in near future. In short, it may not be an exaggeration to say that the Rajapaksa brothers are back in power in their new incarnations known to rest of the world as Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dinesh Gunawardena. Proverbially, the people of Sri Lanka now have old wine in new bottle or perhaps the bottle is also old. Meanwhile, the civil society activists have vowed to continue their agitation till President Ranil Wickremesinghe also resigns. The president is obviously not in a mood to oblige. In one of his first acts as president, Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered a pre-dawn military raid at Colombo’s main anti-government agitation site in which at least three activists were brutally assaulted by soldiers despite the protesters promising to vacate the area by 2 pm, Friday, 23rd July. It remains to be seen as to whether the civil society will be able to sustain its peaceful agitation over a period of time which besides President’s resignation, is making several other demands such as abolition of executive presidency, mid-term elections and restructuring of economy. The SL Government must exercise restraint in dealing with public agitation and the public must keep their agitation peaceful. A semblance of political and social stability in the country is vital for invoking investors’ as well as tourists’ confidence. The bigger challenge before the new political dispensation in Colombo is in securing quick economic recovery, particularly in areas that impact directly on the daily life of the citizens; in short, the government must take measures to contain inflation, arrange supplies of essential commodities at affordable prices. President Wickremesinghe hopes to carry forward his dialogue with IMF for a relief/bailout package to its logical conclusion. Will that alone be sufficient? A Donor conference is being planned in Japan. Again will there be adequate pledges? And what steps such as strict austerity measures are the Sri Lankans willing to take to ease the situation? Sri Lanka is India’s close neighbour with age-old historical and religious and cultural ties. Unstable Sri Lanka has implications for India. In recent past India has extended aid and assistance worth almost USD 4 billion in the form of lines of credits, supply of essential commodities etc. India remains committed to help Sri Lanka but there are limits to which India alone can assist. The need of the hour is that individual countries, international financial institutions must come forward and rescue Sri Lanka at least from total collapse. There is no evidence that China, which is a part of Sri Lanka’s current problems, is also willing to be a part of solutions. Above all the SL Government will have to think out of the box and quickly embark upon course correction while the people of Sri Lanka must be prepared to display patience for some time. Overall, the journey to even partial recovery can be slow, difficult and even painful. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Change of leadership in Sri Lanka but the crisis is far from over

The presidential office will reopen in Sri Lanka on Monday. The colonial era building has now been cleared of all protesters just hours after Ranil Wickremesinghe took his presidential oath.

Sri Lanka's presidential office to reopen soon

The swearing-in of a new cabinet was overshadowed by a pre-dawn crackdown on protesters in Sri Lanka. Beyond angry protesters, President Ranil Wickremesinghe faces another challenge - hidden Chinese loans. Can Wickremesinghe stabilise Sri Lanka? Palki Sharma has more.

Gravitas: Hidden Chinese loans complicates Sri Lanka's bailout

Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Dinesh Gunawardena as the Prime Minister in a bid to restore political stability and mitigate the worst economic crisis.

Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in as Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister

Sri Lankan army personnel cleared the Galle seafront protest site on Friday and took control of the presidential secretariat. Newly-elected president Ranil Wickremesinghe deployed the army as well as Sri Lankan air force and navy personnel to maintain law and order across the island-nation.

Sri Lanka: Security forces raid Galle face protest site, 8 arrested

Anti-government protesters have returned to the streets of Sri Lanka after parliament elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country’s new president in a secret ballot on Wednesday. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lankan protesters to continue demanding resignation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe

As Ranil Wickremesinghe takes charge as Sri Lanka's new President, the chief of CIA has blamed Lanka's 'dumb bets' on China for the ongoing economic crisis. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: CIA chief blames Lanka's 'dumb bets' for crisis

Sri Lanka's senior lawmaker and veteran politician Dinesh Gunawardena has now been sworn in as the new Prime Minister. Gunawardena, 73 had earlier served as the foreign minister and education minister.

Veteran politician Dinesh Gunawardena takes oath as new Sri Lankan PM

Ranil Wickremesinghe took oath as Sri Lanka President on Thursday after winning the presidential poll on Wednesday. He is the ninth President of the island nation.

Ranil Wickremesinghe takes oath as Sri Lanka's 9th President

Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as Sri Lanka's new president. But what will come next as the seasoned Ranil Wickremesinghe inherits the complicated, corrupt and often violent political system. New President will be taking oath in Lankan parliament shortly.

Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe to take oath in Lankan parliament shortly

Sri Lankan lawmakers have elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country's president. Disappointed protesters hit the streets, promising to continue the pressure campaign against him. Palki Sharma decodes Wickremesinghe's rise from election defeat in 2020 to presidency in 2022.

Gravitas: Protests follow Wickremesinghe's election as President

Sri Lanka gets its new President as Ranil Wickremesinghe, six-time Prime Minister and a veteran politician takes oath today in the Lankan parliament, he has been appointed as the eighth executive President of the islands nation.

Ranil Wickremesinghe likely to retain Presidential post till 2024

The six-time former prime minister and veteran leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the eighth President of Sri Lanka on Thursday amid mass protests seeking his ouster.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya administered the oath of office to the 73-year-old politician at the Parliament complex in Colombo.

Wickremesinghe was elected by the Parliament on Wednesday, where he secured 134 votes in the 225-member House while his nearest rival and dissident ruling party leader Dullas Alahapperuma got 82.

Leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake managed to get only three votes during the voting held in Parliament amidst tight security.

However, the anti-government protesters are not happy with Wickremesinghe’s elevation as he is seen as close to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Moreover, when he was the interim president after Gotabaya fled, Wickremesinghe gave sweeping powers to the police and armed forces to crackdown on agitators, who had been targeting legislators for the economic woes.

After being elected as the President, Wickremesinghe visited the Gangarama Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo, on Wednesday.

Refuting allegations that he is close to the Rajapaksas, Wickremesinghe said: “I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas, I am a friend of the people.”

When asked how he will be different from the Rajapaksas as he is an old friend of theirs, he replied, "How am I an old friend of the Rajapaksas? I've been opposing them all this time."

He also said he would ring in the change the people want, and stressed that he is a friend of the people.

The president also vowed to take strict action against the protesters who forcibly occupied the President's Office, and the Prime Minister's Office during the agitation, reports PTI news agency.&nbsp;Protesters had burnt down Wickremesinghe's private home.

"The Aragalaya was against the system. We must allow those who engage in peaceful dissent to do so. We can also respond to them," he said. Aragalaya is the Sinhalese word for "struggle".

(With inputs from agencies)

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The six-time former prime minister and veteran leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the eighth President of Sri Lanka on Thursday amid mass protests seeking his ouster.

The six-time former prime minister and veteran leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the eighth President of Sri Lanka on Thursday amid mass protests seeking his ouster. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya administered the oath of office to the 73-year-old politician at the Parliament complex in Colombo. Wickremesinghe was elected by the Parliament on Wednesday, where he secured 134 votes in the 225-member House while his nearest rival and dissident ruling party leader Dullas Alahapperuma got 82. Leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake managed to get only three votes during the voting held in Parliament amidst tight security. However, the anti-government protesters are not happy with Wickremesinghe’s elevation as he is seen as close to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Moreover, when he was the interim president after Gotabaya fled, Wickremesinghe gave sweeping powers to the police and armed forces to crackdown on agitators, who had been targeting legislators for the economic woes. After being elected as the President, Wickremesinghe visited the Gangarama Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo, on Wednesday. Refuting allegations that he is close to the Rajapaksas, Wickremesinghe said: “I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas, I am a friend of the people.” When asked how he will be different from the Rajapaksas as he is an old friend of theirs, he replied, "How am I an old friend of the Rajapaksas? I've been opposing them all this time." He also said he would ring in the change the people want, and stressed that he is a friend of the people. The president also vowed to take strict action against the protesters who forcibly occupied the President's Office, and the Prime Minister's Office during the agitation, reports PTI news agency. Protesters had burnt down Wickremesinghe's private home. "The Aragalaya was against the system. We must allow those who engage in peaceful dissent to do so. We can also respond to them," he said. Aragalaya is the Sinhalese word for "struggle". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as 8th President of Sri Lanka, vows crackdown on ‘illegal’ protests

Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as Sri Lanka's new president. Molly Gambhir tells you what comes next as the seasoned Ranil Wickremesinghe inherits the complicated, corrupt and often violent political system.

Sri Lanka Crisis & Chaos: The rise of Ranil Wickremesinghe

Veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new President on July 21. According to reports, Wickremesinghe is expected to form a cabinet not exceeding 50 members.

'I always opposed Rajapaksas,' says Sri Lanka's newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe

The island nation has finally got a new President. Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as the 8th executive President of Sri Lanka with 134 votes. The newly elected President says that Sri Lanka is going through a tough situation and we have new challenges ahead.

'Big challenges ahead' says newly elected Sri Lankan Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka lawmakers elect six-time former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new president, this decision is more likely to reignite protests in the island nation.

Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe elected as 8th President with 134 votes

Ranil Wickremesinghe takes oath as Sri Lankan President

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