Former Sri Lankan president sworn in as prime minister

Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-22 09:09:45|Editor: huaxia
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Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa (L front) is sworn in as the country's new prime minister in front of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (R front) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 21, 2019. (Photo by A.Hapuarachchi/Xinhua)

Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Sri Lankan president from 2005 to 2015, was sworn in as the country's new prime minister on Thursday.

COLOMBO, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the country's new prime minister in front of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat in capital Colombo on Thursday.

Rajapaksa, ruling as the president from 2005 to 2015, took oaths as the prime minister a day after leader of the former ruling United National Party resigned from the post.

Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa receives blessings after taking oaths as the prime minister in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 21, 2019. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe tendered his resignation after presidential candidate from his party Sajith Premadasa lost last Saturday's presidential election.

Premadasa who contested from the New Democratic Front, was defeated by Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) who secured nearly 52 percent of the total votes.

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