Gotabaya takes oath, vows to maintain friendly ties with all

Lanka’s new Prez pledges to stay out of global conflicts, prioritises security

Box: Ready for ‘greater progress’ in ties: China

China on Monday congratulated Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his election as the new Sri Lankan President, saying that it is ready to work with him for “greater progress” in bilateral strategic ties and ensure “high-quality” projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, “We congratulate Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his success. We stand ready to work with the new leadership and the government for high-quality BRI cooperation and greater progress in bilateral ties to bring more tangible benefits to two countries and their people.”

Snap parliamentary poll on cards?

Sri Lanka faces the prospect of a snap parliamentary poll after Gotabaya Rajapaksa took over as the country’s president on Monday, sources in the ruling United National Party (UNP) said

The outgoing government’s parliamentary group is to meet soon to discuss the way forward. “This would mean opting for a fresh parliamentary election,” a source in the UNP said. The next parliamentary poll is scheduled only after August 2020

Constitutionally, a sitting PM cannot be removed unless he resigns. But PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is under pressure, after Rajapaksa’s win, to quit. “We will discuss with parliamentary group, the Speaker and party leaders about parliamentary elections,” a statement from Wickremesinghe’s office said

Colombo, November 18

Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa delivered a measured speech on Monday at his swearing-in ceremony, saying his country will maintain friendly ties with all nations and remain neutral in matters involving international powers so as to stay out of conflicts.

The 70-year-old controversial wartime defence secretary’s statement is of importance as Sri Lanka has historically been an important commercial hub along the maritime routes due to its strategic position in the Indian Ocean, where China is increasingly making its inroads, raising concerns in India.

The former defence secretary, who is credited with helping end the island nation’s long civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), stormed to victory on Sunday in the presidential election, trouncing his nearest rival Sajith Premadasa by a margin of over 13 lakh votes – 52.25 per cent of votes polled against 41.99 per cent.

Rajapaksa’s swearing-in ceremony took place at the Ruwanweli Seya, a stupa and a hemispherical structure containing relics and considered sacred to Buddhists all over the world, in Anuradhapura, 200 km from Colombo, where he received blessings from Buddhist monks. Rajapaksa, the seventh Sri Lankan President, is the only one to be sworn in outside Colombo.

In his first address to the nation, Rajapaksa spoke on matters such as foreign policy and sustainable development.

On foreign policy, the newly elected President noted that Sri Lanka will remain friendly with all nations but would remain neutral so as to stay out of conflicts between international powers, Sri Lankan news outlet News First reported. He also pledged to support the UN’s sustainable development goals and make Sri Lanka one of the leading countries in sustainable development. President Rajapaksa assured that corruption would not be tolerated under his administration.

He promised to fulfil the promises made in his election manifesto and urged everyone to unite to rebuild Sri Lanka. President Rajapaksa who earlier served as the Secretary of Defense under President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised to make national security one of the priorities of his government as the country is coming to terms with the Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed 269 persons. “We will rebuild the state security machineries to secure the country from terrorism, underworld activities, robbers, extortionists.”

He also thanked the Sinhala majority for their overwhelming support and reached out to the jittery Tamil and Muslim minorities by promising to protect them though many of them did not vote for him. “I knew I would win the presidency with support coming only from the Sinhala majority. I told the minorities to join me. I did not receive their support. But I will make sure that I will be President for everyone,” he said. Agencies