Dinesh Gunawardena appointed Sri Lanka’s new PM; Outrage as military action continues

COLOMBO: Veteran leader Dinesh Gunawardena took over as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister on Friday. A staunch supporter of Rajapaksa, Gunawardena assumed office as President Ranil Wickremesinghe swore in his new cabinet. He had earlier served as the foreign minister and education minister. Meantime, the protesters are not ready to accept Gunawardena as their prime minister. They gathered in front of the parliament, shouting slogans against Wickremesinghe stating that he was elected against the will of the people. The protesters are adamant to continue protests until Wickremesinghe resigns.

Meanwhile, with the new president assuming office, measures to suppress the protest have begun. Reports suggest that the protest camps in front of government institutions have been destroyed and protesters were evicted from the area. Numerous people have been arrested. While assuming office, Wickremesinghe had warned of taking stern action against those illegally occupying the offices of the president and the prime minister.

The measures against the protesters began on Friday morning. A lathi charge was launched against those who protested against the move. Numerous people were arrested. The protesters inside the president’s office were completely evicted. So far, the army has retrieved control of many government buildings. However, the protesters are not ready to back down.