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HomeTrendingMahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka new PM

Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka new PM

Colombo: Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party Mahinda Rajapaksa took oath as the Sri Lanka new prime minister on Sunday after his party secured a landslide victory in the recently concluded parliamentary election.

Rajapaksa took oath during a grand ceremony at Kelaniya Temple, a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo in the presence of the diplomatic community and legislators from the ruling and opposition parties, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Rajapaksa’s party won 145 seats in the August 5 election which was held to elect new legislators in a 225-member parliament.  Mahinda Rajapaksa Sri Lanka

His new cabinet will take oath later this week.

According to the Elections Commission, the parliamentary election held last Wednesday was one of the most peaceful held in Sri Lankan history with a 71 percent voter turnout.

The election was held under strict health guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has infected over 2,800 people in the country.

According to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the new parliament will convene on August 20.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elections Commission has said several new health guidelines will be in place to enable voters to cast their ballots on polling day.

Source: IANS