Sri Lanka's acting president sworn in, promises “rule and law” amid political chaos

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the country's acting president on Friday, after former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on Wednesday following months of anti-government protests.

In a speech following the ceremony, Wickremesinghe said that “I will take immediate steps to establish the rule of law and peace in the country.”

Wickremesinghe will act as the interim president and is also currently the first choice of the ruling party to take over full-time, though no final decision will be taken until next week. The opposition's nominee is Sajith Premadasa, while the potential dark horse is senior lawmaker Dullas Alahapperuma.

Sri Lanka had begun preliminary discussions with the International Monetary Fund about a potential bailout loan, but these have been interrupted by the latest government chaos.