President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday sacked his Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new premier. Rajapaksa had previously served two terms as president, maxing out his time in office under the nation's 19th Amendment. In a September interview with the Indian newspaper, "The Hindu," Rajapaksa reportedly said he would attempt to lead the Sri Lanka PoduJana Party in the 2019 elections, and if he won, he'd fight the amendment limiting him to two terms in the courts.
Rajapaksa had served as prime minister from 2004 until his victory in the 2005 presidential election, after which he served two five-year terms. He was defeated for a third term in 2015. He sought the position of prime minister in the 2015 parliamentary election, but was defeated, securing instead a seat in parliament. A June, 2018 The New York Times story alleged that Rajapaksa, during the 2015 presidential campaign, received large payments from the Chinese port construction fund that flowed directly into campaign aides and activities. He is viewed as a pro-Chinese politician.
[FULL STORY HERE]
World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment