Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa swears in 4 Cabinet members amid crisis
- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed the ministers after his brother PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned and the new PM Ranil Wickremesing was instated
- Protesters demanded the resignations of the Rajapaksa brothers because of the crisis that has nearly bankrupted the country and caused severe shortages of essentials
Sri Lanka’s president swore in four new Cabinet ministers Saturday in an effort to ensure stability until a full cabinet is formed in the island nation engulfed in a political and economic crisis.
The appointment of four ministers came two days after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reappointed five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, after his predecessor – the president’s brother Mahinda Rajapaksa – resigned Monday following violent attacks by his supporters on peaceful anti-government protesters.
His resignation automatically dissolved the Cabinet, leaving an administrative vacuum. In a move bring back stability, president Rajapaksa reappointed Wickremesinghe on Thursday and swore in four cabinet ministers Saturday until a full cabinet is appointed.
The new ministers are of foreign affairs, public administration and home affairs, urban development and power and energy, said a statement Saturday from president’s office. All four belong to the president’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Party.
The new prime minister belongs to the United National Party.
Rajapaksa sought a unity government in early April but the largest opposition political party, the United People’s Force, or SJB, immediately rejected the proposal.
