Sacked Sri Lankan Prime Minister Returns To Post Following Political Turmoil - Reports

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2018) Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose dismissal in late October triggered a political crisis in the country, was sworn in on Sunday as the head of the country's government once again following the resignation of his predecessor, local media reported.

According to the news First outlet, the ceremony took place at the presidential office in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena, who was the one to sack Wickremesinghe in the first place. The newly-appointed prime minister is expected to soon issue a statement regarding the political situation in the country.

On Saturday, then-prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed by Sirisena to replace Wickremesinghe, announced that he stepped down from the post.

Prior to that, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court ruled that Rajapaksa had no right to serve as the head of the government.

In late October, Sirisena dismissed Wickremesinghe from the post and appointed Rajapaksa, who previously served as the country's president between 2005 and 2015, as his replacement. Wickremesinghe, in turn, refused to step down, arguing that the president's move was unconstitutional.

After lawmakers refused to accept the new prime minister, Sirisena dissolved the legislature on November 9 and announced the next elections to be held on January 5, 2019. However, earlier in December, the country's Supreme Court ruled that the president's decision contradicted the country's constitution.