The interim leader said in a televised address that he intends to change Sri Lanka's constitution to restrict some presidential powers and strengthen parliament, restore order and pursue legal action against insurgents.
The country's economic crisis began in 2019 and has since been marked by high inflation and limited supplies of food, fuel and medicine. The situation was aggravated by accumulated debts, the Russian war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic mismanagement, controversial legislation and failure to seek aid from the international community.
![]()
Army soldiers stand guard during an anti-government protest outside the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Wednsday. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the country's acting president on Friday. Photo by Kumara De Mel/UPI
Wickremesinghe, 73, said last month that the Sri Lankan economy had collapsed and the government was unable to buy essential items for its population of 22 million.
Sri Lankans turned against Rajapaksa in recent months after accusations of wrongdoing that included corruption, war crimes and human rights violations in the small island Asian nation, which is located off India's southern coast.
"We had one aim -- to get rid of this absolutely corrupt regime," one demonstrator said according to CNN. "I came because I was scared for my son's future."
Some Sri Lankans, however, are eager for a different permanent leader to take over.
"[Wickremesinghe] has no people's mandate [and] is a well known Rajapaksa supporter," protester Manuri Pabasari told BBC News. "I mean, the new president and the new prime minister should be not a Rajapaksa supporter."
Under Sri Lanka's constitution, Wickremesinghe can serve in the interim post for as many as 30 days.
