Sri Lanka: PM Wickremesinghe to form a new democratic front

The reinstated Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, here on Monday said that a democratic front would be created to secure the constitution and stabilise peace and reconciliation in the country.

Colombo Page cited the Prime Minister addressing a rally, titled 'Fight for Justice', organised by his United National Party (UNP) in the Sri Lankan capital, informing the crowd that he plans to register a new 'National Democratic Front' (NDF) which would also help him fight elections and devise a government with massive power.

The Prime Minister also said that he expected the political crisis in the country, which began after President Maithripala Sirisena ousted Wickremesinghe from his Prime Ministerial post on October 26 and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to end quickly but it rather lasted for 51 days.

"We thought that our campaign to protect democracy would end in a week. I would like to say that 'Thachchiya' (frying pan) is what's on fire. We faced the fire. We protected the democracy from fire. No fire now," the Prime Minister said.

"We defended democracy since we were able to create a protective ring in the constitution to safeguard people's sovereignty. Today, we have been able to completely defeat the forces against democracy," Wickremesinghe added.

The Prime Minister also thanked the people of the country for their support to him and their insistent commitment towards democracy.

Wickremesinghe swore-in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Sunday (December 16), before Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat.

After months of political unrest, the constitutional crisis in the south-Asian island nation is now expected to settle down.