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Sri Lanka’s PM sworn in as interim president

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan prime minister,  has been sworn in as the country’s interim president. He assumed his new position on Friday and would hold power until parliament elects a successor.

The country has seen series of protests from angry citizens, who are unable to access basic social services.

The protests forced Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country to the Maldives.

At the same time, the speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament said lawmakers will convene Saturday to choose a new leader. Their choice would serve out the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term ending in 2024, said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana.

He promised a swift and transparent process that should be done within a week.

The new president could appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament. With Rajapaksa out, pressure on Wickremesinghe was rising.

In a televised statement, Wickremesinghe said he would initiate steps to change the constitution to curb presidential powers and strengthen Parliament, restore law and order and take legal action against “insurgents.”

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