Mr.Wickremesinghe is the six-time former Prime Minister
Colombo: Ahead of the election for the new President in Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe is ready to swear in his Cabinet on Friday, comprising members of the previous government, including Dinesh Gunewardena who will be the next prime minister.
The previous Cabinet will function till a national government is agreed upon once Parliament convenes and then a Cabinet reshuffle will take place.
The 73-years-old leader, who was on Thursday sworn in as the country's eighth president after he won a parliamentary ballot, has called for bipartisanship to address the unprecedented economic crisis the country is facing.
The Leader of the House in the Sri Lankan Parliament 73-year-old Mr Gunewardena will be the new prime minister. He was appointed as Home Minister in April by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
A stalwart of Sri Lankan politics, Mr. Gunawardena has also served as the foreign minister and education minister.
According to the officials, Mr. Wickremesinghe would try to form an all-party government to overcome the current economic crisis, the worst since the country's independence in 1948.
The new President of the island, a six-time former prime minister, was elected by lawmakers on Wednesday in a rare move that could provide continuity for crucial discussions with the IMF for a bailout deal for the cash-strapped nation.
He will have a mandate to serve out the rest of Gotabaya Rajapaksa's term, which ends in November 2024.
Meanwhile, a group of protesters who had camped opposite the prime minister's official residence since April end, said they were ending the protest.
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