Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lankan PM

October 26, 2018 20:31

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been sworn-in as the prime minister after president Maithripala Sirisena's party on Friday withdrew from the ruling coalition.

Rajapaksa replaced Ranil Wickremesinghe as the PM.

The unity government of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United National Party was thrown into a crisis after Rajapaksa's new party pulled off a stunning victory in local elections in February seen as a referendum on the ruling alliance.

The United People's Freedom Alliance withdrew from the government, UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror news.

"The UPFA left the coalition government," he said.

Last week, it was reported that Sirisena accused his senior coalition partner the UNP of not taking seriously an alleged conspiracy to assassinate him and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

EPL PIX: Manchester City thump Wolves; Arsenal down Bouremouth

IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Real Madrid secure LaLiga title after Girona thrash Barca

Ancelotti's second-string players proved they were up to the task as they secured three points for Real and kept them on course for the inevitable LaLiga title celebrations.

Kotak Mahindra Bank reports 25% rise in Q4 net profit

Kotak Mahindra Bank on Saturday reported a 25 per cent growth in its March quarter net profit at Rs 5,302 crore, limited by a drop in the core income due to narrow interest margins. On a standalone basis, the city-headquartered lender's...

1 IAF personnel killed, 4 injured in Poonch terror attack

The attack took place near Shashidhar in the evening when the vehicles were moving towards Sanai Top in the district's Surankote area.

IPL PIX: RCB fumble before scripting win over GT

IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru, on Saturday.