Days after winning the country’s presidential elections, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Wednesday named his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister of the island nation.
Mahinda, a two-term president himself, is due to be sworn in as premier on Thursday. Mahinda had served as Sri Lanka’s President from 2005 till 2015, making him South Asia’s longest-serving leader.
His appointment came immediately after Ranil Wickremesinghe resigned as the PM, days after the ruling party’s candidate lost the presidential election to Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
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Despite his government having a majority in the Parliament, Wickremesinghe said he decided to step down in respect of the mandate in the Presidential polls, where Gotabhaya Rajapaksa defeated Wickremesinghe’s deputy Sajith Premadasa.
Sri Lanka People’s Front candidate and the country’s former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was on Sunday won the polls with 52.25 % votes.