Newly-appointed PM says his aim is to save crisis-hit Lanka

NEW DELHI,MAY 17: Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday that his aim is to save the crisis-hit country, and not a person, family or group, in an apparent reference to the Rajapaksa family and its former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In his first televised address to the nation after becoming the prime minister last week, the 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader also said that US dollars will be sourced from open markets to pay for petrol, crude, furnace oil shipments currently in Sri Lankan waters.

Wickremesinghe was appointed as Sri Lanka’s 26th prime minister on Thursday as the country was without a government since Monday when prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned after violence erupted following an attack on the anti-government protesters by his supporters.

“My aim is to save the country,” Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said. “I am not here to save a person, family or group.” He said a relief budget will be introduced to replace the 2022 Development Budget.

-PTI