Sri Lanka swore in a new prime minister on Friday just hours after soldiers and police cleared an anti-government protest site in Colombo in an attempt to restore a functioning government to the island nation, officials said.
Dinesh Gunawardena, a veteran member of the ruling Sri Lanka People's Front was sworn in before President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elevated to head of state from his role as prime minister by a vote in parliament on Wednesday.
Heavy security was deployed outside the Prime minister's office during the swearing in ceremony.
Police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said that the decision to use over 1,000 soldiers and police to clear the protest camp overnight, which was criticized by human rights organizations, had been made to allow the president's office to resume its work again, following months of being effectively blocked off by demonstrators demanding the resignation of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
