WEB DESK
Mahinda Rajapaksa will take oath as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka tomorrow after landslide victory of his party at general elections held on Wednesday. His party and allies have secured two-thirds majority in parliament. The oath taking ceremony will be held at an ancient Buddhist temple near Colombo and he will be administered oath by his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Other cabinet members will be sworn in next week at a ceremony in Kandy.
Mahinda Rajapaksa has served as country’s President from 2006 to 2015. He was appointed prime minister after Gotabaya’s victory at last November Presidential elections though his side did not enjoy majority in parliament. He contested the election from Kurunegala and topped the preferential votes from the district by clinching record 527,364 votes. Meanwhile, the tussle between the two opposition parties, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and United National Party (UNP) continues.
UNP was routed in the election with its leader and former PM Ranil Wickremsinghe losing the polls while party managed to get one seat. SJB, a breakaway party of UNP, said UNP leadership is still not willing to accept that the UNP has been destroyed. SJB led by former minister Sajith Premadasa has emerged as main opposition with 54 seats.