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The task before the ‘new’ PM 

12 May 2022

This decision is said to have been reached at Wednesday’s (11) meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe, which was held in a context where several other politicaAs widely speculated, United National Party Leader MP Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has previously served five terms as Prime Minister, was sworn in as Premier to succeed Mahinda Rajapaksa, thereby taking on the mantle to save crisis-ridden Sri Lanka. l parties, especially the main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), had offered to accept the Premiership on various conditions. There could be several reasons as to why Wickremesinghe was considered for the post. While his seniority, his experience as Prime Minister and in politics, and his reputation as a politician that maintains healthy international relations are the obvious reasons, there is no information as to what terms and conditions he agreed to in accepting the Premiership. Regardless of the reasons, the weight he has agreed to bear is unlike any other he has handled thus far, and guiding Sri Lanka out of the worst economic crisis in its history will require more than the positives listed above.  The removal of Mahinda Rajapaksa was merely one part of the change the country demanded and needed. However, his resignation only means that he is no longer the Prime Minister, and Sri Lanka, through a new Government under a new Prime Minister, still needs to find solutions to the prevailing crises. Secondly – and most importantly with regard to the solutions the country needs – is that the new Prime Minister should have a plan, fortitude, support, and freedom to salvage the country from the economic, social and political downturn it is facing – something that unfortunately did not receive sufficient attention during the anti-Government protests.  The most important part of this discussion is that Wickremesinghe is expected to bring solutions to the issues the Rajapaksa Government could not resolve, and without solutions to offer, Wickremesinghe’s appointment as Prime Minister will be a pointless exercise. It would be just another change of face, which Sri Lanka has seen plenty of, and will not address the core issue. Wickremesinghe's potential to become the actual saviour of the nation is particularly notable at this juncture, because the President has implied that he is willing to give up Executive powers as President and thereby give more powers to the new Prime Minister. In this context, Wickremesinghe will end up playing the most crucial role in the Government, which also comes with the burden of solving the prevailing crises in the country. However, the country does not yet know what Wickremesinghe can bring to the table.  At the same time, there are concerns about the fact that Wickremesinghe and the President have not worked together before, especially in this capacity. In addition, it is notable that the duo come from two opposing political camps – one denies allegations that it created the prevailing crisis, while the other side is levelling these very allegations. In this context, it is crucial that the duo is on the same page as far as the causes behind and solutions to the prevailing crises are concerned. At the same time, they will have to agree on a number of crucial and immediate activities, such as the appointment of a Cabinet of Ministers. If the two are to save the country from the prevailing crises, these differences and gaps should have been addressed before Wickremesinghe’s appointment as Prime Minister, and given the powers that Wickremesinghe will hold and the powers that the President will lose, it is crucial that they have a sound understanding of each of their roles and responsibilities. The new Government under the old President and a new Prime Minister should not be just another farcical ploy to retain and maintain power, because the country is in no position to waste any more time. Therefore, above all, the duo should share a genuine need to stabilise the country, and this should remain their common goal despite all their differences.


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