Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in as 15th Prime Minister
22 July, 2022 | Pravina Srivastava
Dinesh Gunawardena took his oath of office as prime minister of Sri Lanka today.
Dinesh Gunawardena took his oath of office as prime minister of Sri Lanka today.
The 73-year-old member of parliament from Sri Lanka’s Podujana Peramuna party has been chosen to serve as the island country’s 15th prime minister.
Following lengthy deliberations within Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party on Thursday, Gunawardena was sworn in by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at Prime Minister’s Office on Flower Road in Colombo today.
Then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had nominated Gunawardena to position of Home Minister in April. The previous prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as eighth President of Sri Lanka on July 21 after Gotabaya left nation and resigned from his office.
According to reports cited by media, ministers who served in the last government under Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe would be sworn in on Friday.
However, sources claimed that once Parliament meets on July 27, negotiations on a national government will begin. This is in an effort to revive the delayed process.
Furthermore, sources claimed that cabinet would be reorganized and new cabinet ministers will take oaths when political parties agree to create a national administration.
“The ministries have recently ceased operations, and there are several files that need to be handed to cabinet at this time. Consequently, the former administration will take an oath today and resume its duties “senior sources told media outlet.
In the meantime, several protesters clashed with armed security guards as they erected barricades outside the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat’s Colombo offices early on Friday.