COLOMBO, July 22: Dinesh Gunewardena took oath as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Friday. A stalwart of Sri Lankan politics, Gunawardena, 73. earlier served as the foreign minister and education minister. He was appointed as Home Minister in April by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is also set to swear in his Cabinet on Friday comprising members of the previous government.
Ahead of the swearing in of the new Cabinet, a huge military contingent, along with police, raided Galle Face in Colombo early on Friday, where anti-government protesters have peacefully agitated for over three months in the wake of the island nation’s grave economic crisis. Several protesters were assaulted by soldiers, according to eyewitnesses.
The military attack on the main agitation site comes less than 24 hours after Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as President, amid political tumult in the island after dramatic citizens’ protests on July 9 led to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing Sri Lanka. (AGENCIES)
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