Five things to know about Ranil
UNP won 106 seats, seven short of a majority in the 225-member
parliament. President Sirisena’s SLFP provided the numbers from his
opposition group to Wickremesinghe’s to set up the government.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Friday sworn in as Sri Lanka’s prime
minister for a fourth time, following his party’s victory in
parliamentary polls. The country’s two major political parties signed a
power-sharing deal to form a national unity government.Immediately after
the swearing-in ceremony, the two main parties — Wickremesinghe’s United
National Party (UNP) and Maithripala Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP) — sealed a memorandum of understanding paving the way for setting
up of a national unity government.
Here are five key things to know about Ranil Wickremesinghe.
1. Multiple terms
He has become Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister for the fourth time in his
political career. His three earlier terms were 1993-94, 2002-2004 and
since January.
2. Serial winner
He has never lost a parliamentary election since 1977. That means he
has been a member of Sri Lankan Parliament for good 38 years. He
represents the Colombo District. He completed his law exams at the Sri
Lanka Law College and took oath as an advocate in 1972.
3. India relations
On bilateral relations with India, he recently said in an interview
with Thanthi TV (a Chennai-based news channel): “Yes I’m quite happy.
First, there was President Sirisena’s visit to New Delhi. And then Prime
Minister (Narendra) Modi is visiting Sri Lanka next month. This shows we
are re-establishing links, repairing the damage, getting ahead.”
4. China relations
On former President Mahinda Rajapakasa’s pro-China stand,
Wickremesinghe told Thanthi TV: “We keep the Indo-Sri Lanka relations
separate from Sino-Sri Lanka relations. Both are important for us. With
India, there is a historic link. Under the Indo-Lanka Pact, both
countries have agreed they will not take any measure that might harm the
security of the other. So, in conducting our relations with China or
with other countries, we keep that in mind. This way, we are able to
handle the Indo-Sri Lanka relationship separately from the Sino-Lanka
relations. What we did not like was the attempt during Rajapaksa’s
regime to play India off against China. Play China card with India, and
India card with China. That is not a wise policy.”
5. Stand on war crimes
On the issue of the UN probe on war crimes, Wickremesinghe said in an
another interview, with NDTV: “We are going to engage the UN Human
Rights Council on these issues. All we are saying is that any criminal
jurisdiction must be exercised in Sri Lanka. Any civil jurisdiction has
to be exercised in Sri Lanka. Only Sri Lankan courts can determine this
issue. The same as in India or US. We are no different from anyone else
but we will restore the independence of the judiciary.”
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