Ranil Wickremesinghe Takes Oath as Sri Lanka President

Ranil Wickremesinghe took oath as Sri Lanka President on Thursday after winning the presidential poll on Wednesday. He is the ninth President. He raked in 134 votes.

Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed the President's chair amid massive protests against him. Earlier, his private residence was set on fire and his official residence, when he was the Prime Minister, was stormed by protesters, who demanded that he step down.

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Right after winning the election on Wednesday, he addressed the speaker and sought permission from the Speaker to take oath outside the Parliament chamber within the Parliament complex. He assured the Opposition that he would work with all parties to bail Sri Lanka out of the unprecedented economic crisis.

Ranil Wickremesinghe is deeply unpopular with the masses, who have been gripped by severe shortages of fuel, food and other essentials after its foreign reserves dried up. So much so that he is often derided as Ranil Rajapaksa by the public as he is seen as a front for the Rajapaksa empire and as a five-time prime minister and multiple times finance minister is also seen by the public as a major contributor to the economic mess.

However, as someone who has dealt with the IMF in the past, Ranil also has an opportunity in this if he can ease the economic situation in the country and restore his credibility. This is easier said than done as the public today has to wait three to four days for a gas cylinder and four to five days to get motor vehicle fuel.

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