Can Wickremesinghe, the Newly Elected PM of Sri Lanka, Bring Peace To The Island Nation Amid Economic Crisis?
Written By: Aashish Vashistha
July 21, 2022 (New Delhi): Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as president of Sri Lanka amid hopes and aspirations that he will pull the country out of its economic suffering and will bring peace and harmony to the disturbed nation. The 73-year-old took his oath at the tightly-guarded parliament complex on Thursday. Wickremesinghe the former prime minister is seen as deeply unpopular with the public, but some protesters have said they will give him a chance. Sri Lanka has seen months of mass unrest over an economic crisis that led to massive disturbance across the whole nation. The country has given a chance to Wickremsinghe despite many people do not have faith in him and also in Rajapaksa.
Many blame the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration for mishandling the nation’s finances and see Mr. Wickremesinghe as part of the problem. But there were few demonstrations on the streets the day after Mr. Wickremesinghe won the parliament vote. He won a majority among lawmakers with the backing of the Rajapaksa’s ruling party, Sri Lanka’s People’s Front (SLPP) – took pains to distance himself from the old leaders. “I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas. I am a friend of the people,” he told reporters on Wednesday after defeating his main rival – a dissident SLPP MP – by 134 votes to 82. Now, there are discussions if he would be able to bring peace and tranquility to Sri Lanka amid the worst phase of the economic crisis.
After Wickremesinghe got promoted as the President of the island nation, he has to focus on various responsibilities and the priority should be to bring the nation to peace and out of economic collapse and restore public order. His predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the country and resigned following months of mass protests over the island’s economic crisis. “Our divisions are now over,” he told parliament in a short acceptance speech after being elected by his fellow MPs and urged his opponents to work with him for the good and welfare of the country. Earlier in May, He told the news agency BBC that, “the economic crisis is going to get worse before it gets better.” It is without a doubt that the people of Sri Lanka trusted him and gave him a chance to build a strong and secure nation but it is yet unclear what measures he will take to resolve this economic crisis and to clear the uncertain sky of impossibilities in Sri Lanka.