Sri Lanka's ousted PM sworn in again, ending political impasse

COLOMBO - Leader of Sri Lanka's the United National Party (also known as UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was sacked from the post of prime minister in late October, was sworn in as the prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena again on Sunday, ending a nearly two-month political crisis which erupted after his surprising dismissal.

Wickremesinghe took his oath at the Presidential Secretariat in the capital of Colombo, as hundreds of his supporters gathered outside.

Sirisena had replaced Wickremesinghe with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa following differences over policy matters and other issues. However, Rajapaksa failed to win a parliamentary majority and resigned on Saturday as a government shutdown loomed.