Sri Lanka’s President Appoints His Brother as Prime Minister
- Wickremesinghe quit premiership after party’s election defeat
- Parliamentary elections not due until after Febraury 2020
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Photographer: Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images
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Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has appointed his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who forged close ties with Beijing during his 10-year rule, as the island’s new prime minister.
Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in Thursday a day after Ranil Wickremesinghe quit following his candidate’s loss in the country’s bitterly contested presidential poll. Wickremesinghe said he was resigning to allow for the appointment of his replacement and the establishment of a new government, although the coalition led by his United National Party still holds a majority in parliament.