Who is Ranil Wickremesinghe? Know all about Sri Lanka's new President

Who is Ranil Wickremesinghe? Know all about Sri Lanka's new President

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation.

AgenciesUpdated: Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 12:50 PM IST
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Who is Ranil Wickremesinghe? Know all about Sri Lanka's new President | ANI

Ranil Wickremesinghe was today elected new Sri Lanka President amid the massive economic crisis the island nation is reeling under. Mr Wickeremesinghe had been serving as acting President after Gotabaya Rajapakasa had to resign from the top post following widespread protests in the country.

Who is Ranil Wickremesinghe?

Wickremesinghe is seen as being close to the Rajapaksa family, and many think he has been chosen because he will be likely to guarantee their security.

His party UNP, the oldest party in the country, had failed to win a single seat in 2020 parliamentary polls.

Some say his experience and links with India and the West could help overcome the economic crisis that led to the protests.

It is the sixth time the senior opposition MP has held the post. He has never seen out a full term.

A lawyer by profession, he comes from an affluent family of politicians and businessmen.

In 1994, he became leader of the United National Party (UNP) when Gamini Dissanayake was killed by suspected rebels of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

He himself narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when a bomb went off at a meeting he was addressing in the town of Eppawala.

He was prime minister during the deadly Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, which killed at least 250 people. He was widely criticized for intelligence failures at the time.

What is happening in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation.

The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, like the government's move last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka's agriculture "100 per cent organic".

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