Rajapaksa swears in 4 Cabinet members amid Sri Lanka crisis

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI and KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president swore in four new Cabinet ministers Saturday in an effort to ensure stability until a full Cabinet is formed in the island nation engulfed in a political and economic crisis. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa swore in new ministers of foreign affairs, public administration, urban development and power and energy. The appointments came two days after Rajapaksa reappointed five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. His predecessor, the president’s brother, resigned Monday following violent attacks by government supporters on peaceful anti-government protesters. His resignation automatically dissolved the Cabinet, leaving an administrative vacuum that President Rajapaksa has been filling with appointments in an effort to bring back stability.