Colombo: Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday took oath as the new president of Sri Lanka even as anti-government protesters continued to rally against the Rajapaksa ally.
Protesters gathered outside the presidential residence, which they had stormed last week, and chanted “Go back, Ranil.” 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.
Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to the Maldives and then Singapore after widespread protests last week, has been granted a 14-day short-term visit pass (STVP), said Singapore immigration officials. The Singapore government has maintained that he is on a “private visit” and was granted the STVP on arrival.
