COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s newly elected president is set to name his brother and current opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa as interim prime minister, a party spokesman said on Wednesday, just hours after the sitting premier said he plans to step down.
Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe said he planned to tender his resignation on Thursday, after his party’s candidate lost in a presidential election to Mahinda’s younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the weekend.
Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn as prime minister and assume office on Thursday, Keheliya Rambukwella, a spokesman for the Mahinda-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), told Reuters.
This will see two brothers holding the top positions in the government of Sri Lanka for the first time in its history.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, also a member of the SLPP, defeated the candidate from Wickremesinghe’s party on Nov. 16. Gotabaya had earlier served as defence chief under his brother Mahinda, who himself served as president from 2005-2015.
Government leaders said a parliamentary election is expected around April and Mahinda is expected to be party’s prime ministerial candidate.
Under the constitution, Wickremesinghe’s government will be dissolved following his resignation.
Neither Wickremesinghe’s UNP, nor Mahinda Rajapaksa’s SLPP has an absolute majority in parliament to form a government. Mahinda Rajapaksa attempted to return to office last year as prime minister but was blocked by a court.
The new president is expected to appoint a 15-member interim cabinet until the election.
