Ranil to be sworn in as PM for a record fourth time

Pledges to form National Government for 2 to 3-year period

by Zacki Jabbar-August 20, 2015, 10:08 pm 

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to be sworn in as Prime Minister for a fourth time today, equaling a record held by the late Srimavo Bandaranaike.

The UNP-led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) with 106 parliamentary seats emerged as the single largest alliance at Monday’s general election.

The swearing in ceremony would be held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning, Minster of Public Security, Christian Religious Affairs and Disaster Management told The Island yesterday.

Wickremesinghe’s first stint as Prime Minister was from May 7, 1993 to August 19 , 1994. He, succeeded D. B. Wijetunga, who became  President following the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa by an LTTE suicide bomber, while participating in a May Day rally on May 1, 1993.

He served a second term from December 9, 2001  to April 6, 2004 after leading the UNP to victory at a snap parliamentary Poll, which the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga called on Dec. 5, 2001, just over a year after the previous one.

Asked when the new Cabinet of Ministers would be appointed, Ameratunga said that it would most likely be next week.

Unlike the last Cabinet which was appointed for a period of 100-days though it functioned longer than that due to reasons beyond the UNP’s control, the new ministers would be selected with a long term focus which meant the selection process would naturally take longer, he noted.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the UNP led UNFGG would form a National Government with the SLFP and other like minded parties for at least two to three years aimed at furthering the silent revolution of Jan. 8, which was endorsed by a majority of the people last Monday with a clear message that there was a need to strengthen good governance and consensual politics.

Meanwhile, the SLFP Central Committee chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday approved the formation of a National Government with the UNP.

Former President and current Patron of the SLFP, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was appointed to head a six-member committee tasked with drawing up a Memorandum of Understanding.