All you need to know about Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka's new President

Ranil Wickremesinghe was today elected new Sri Lanka President amid the massive economic crisis the island nation is reeling under. Wickeremesinghe had been serving as acting President after Gotabaya Rajapakasa had to resign from the top post following widespread protests in the country.

Born to a wealthy political family, he trained as a lawyer and first entered politics in 1977. Wickremesinghe served as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, under his uncle and President J. R. Jayewardene.

Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister for the first time in 1993 after the assassination of the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

His last term as Prime Minister began in 2015, in a coalition government. Wickremesinghe was removed as Prime Minister in 2018 by President Maithripala Sirisena with the appointment of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, which Wickremesinghe refused to accept.

Ranil Wickremesinghe belongs to the United National Party, UNP – a centre-right political party – and had been leading a quiet life when he was brought back from political obsolescence to be Sri Lanka’s caretaker President in 2022 as the country grappled through its worst economic crisis since independence.

As Prime Minister Wickremesinghe became known for being economically efficient and a pro-Western reformer. At 73, he will be the 8th President of Sri Lanka.