Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena swornin as the new Prime Minister

Colombo, July 22 (UNI) Veteran politician Dinesh Gunawardena has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, here on Friday. Gunawardena who is a longtime ally of the Rajapaksa political family was appointed as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister on Friday just hours after security forces moved in and cleared the main protest site occupied for months in the capital, by demonstrators demonstrating against the Rajapaksa family and blaming them for the country’s economic collapse. Gunawardena’s swearing-in ceremony took place several hours after security forces cleared a protest camp near the presidential palace and arrested several people. At least two journalists and two lawyers were beaten by security forces. Gunawardena, 73 and belongs to a prominent political family in Sri Lanka and is also a schoolmate of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.