• Wickremesinghe served as president for a second time during the crisis in Sri Lanka.

    International
    Wickremesinghe served as president for a second time during the crisis in Sri Lanka.




     



    Digital Desk: It was a great
    challenge for Ranil Wickremesinghe to lead Sri Lanka out of its worst economic
    crisis in seven decades when he assumed office as prime minister two months ago.
    The 73-year-old leader acknowledged the significant challenge the island nation
    was experiencing to get through these trying times while carrying expectations
    on his shoulders.



     



    This was the sixth time in his
    decades-long career that he had taken office as prime minister of Sri Lanka. As
    his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa submitted his resignation on May 12, shortly
    after Wickremesinghe took the oath of office, he indicated that he was putting
    a strategy in place.



     



    He actively communicated throughout
    the course of the following eight weeks all his government was doing to ensure
    that his nation could get out of the crisis. A much needs to be done and
    undone. Rest assured that since we are prioritising issues, we will deal with
    them as soon as we can. In the past 48 hours, we have been able to move things
    along," he wrote in a tweet on May 16.



     



    He consistently expressed optimism
    that he would assist the country in surviving with debt restructuring,
    constitutional changes, conversations with other nations, including Australia,
    India, Japan, the US, and others, and follow-ups with the International
    Monetary Fund.



     



    About two weeks before to the
    historic protests on Saturday, he also addressed his detractors. Since I was
    sworn in as PM, I have given you updates every two weeks on the actual
    situation and the steps we have been taking. While some have laughed this off,
    others have embraced it. Regardless of the organisation you are a part of, we
    must work together to rebuild our nation, he stated on Twitter.



     



    "Only if they feel a strong
    urge and determination on our behalf will the world help us. By engaging in
    various acts of sabotage, we can either demonstrate to them our desire as a
    people to restore our nation or our indifference and disinterest, according to
    another article.



     



    But the nation experienced a new
    wave of protests on Saturday that was considerably larger and more powerful.
    President Gotabaya Rajpaka of Sri Lanka was reported to have left after his
    palace was broken into.



     



    A few hours later, Wickremesinghe
    declared he will resign after the election of a new administration. "I
    accept the finest advice of the Party Leaders today, to pave the path for an
    All-Party Government, to assure the continuation of the Government, including
    the protection of all citizens. I will step down as prime minister to make this
    possible," he tweeted. His private residence was burned down by irate
    protesters despite him stepping aside.



     



    On Saturday, Gotabaya also announced
    his departure, which will be official on July 13.



     



    It's not yet apparent whether the nation, which owes
    billions in debt, will be able to elect a stable administration that can help
    it overcome its problems.