"The decision to appoint [Ranil] Wickremesinghe as the prime minister is in complete opposition to the will and aspirations of the people," said Cardinal Ranjith after the announcement was made through the media on May 12.

Buddhist monk Ven Omalpe Sobhitha Thera said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's decision to appoint Wickremesinghe as prime minister was unconstitutional.

"The interim government should be established under a person who has the will of the people. The appointment is a step taken to protect the Rajapaksas," he said.

Wickremesinghe was seen as a relatively safe replacement. He had previously served as Sri Lankan prime minister five times.

Wickremesinghe replaced Mahinda Rajapaksa (the president's brother), who resigned after months of protests over the country's deepening economic crisis.

The economic situation in Sri Lanka remains dire, with the country virtually bankrupt.

It has already defaulted on its billions in foreign loans and is in discussions with the International Monetary Fund for an emergency loan and financial assistance to get the country back on its feet.

Rajapaksa's resignation came hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, which prompted authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy troops in the capital.

Even though Colombo was under curfew, the waterfront boulevard was still thronged with people united in their grievances against the government and a row of Catholic nuns fanned themselves next to robed Buddhist monks.

Pope Francis on Wednesday appealed for calm in Sri Lanka. He called on authorities to "listen to the aspirations of the people" as the island reels from deadly violence and rioting.

"I offer a special thought to the people of Sri Lanka, in particular to the young, who in recent times have made their cry heard in the face of the country's social and economic challenges and problems," he said at the end of his weekly audience.

Sources

UCA News

Washington Post

Khaleej Times

Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, said he was urging President Mahinda Rajapakse and the main ethnic Tamil party to hammer out a political settlement or risk an international probe.

"Foreigners should not tell us what to do... We are not a pack of fools," the cardinal said. "But if we do not resolve these issues, then we open ourselves to foreign intervention."

Sri Lanka has resisted international calls to investigate allegations that up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed by security forces in the final months of fighting in 2009.

At a Commonwealth summit hosted by Colombo last month, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron warned that he would push for an international inquiry under the auspices of the UN unless Sri Lanka ensures accountability by March.

In a pastoral letter, the Church warned that failure on the part of Colombo to ensure accountability for alleged war crimes could trigger international investigations that will be a "serious threat to the sovereignty of the country".

Christians are a small minority in the mainly Buddhist country, but the Catholic Church wields considerable influence over the government and Ranjith is regarded as close to Rajapakse.

Since the 37-year separatist war ended in May 2009, there have been no attacks blamed on the defeated Tamil Tiger guerrillas who fought for independence for the island's ethnic Tamil minority.

The cardinal said the majority Sinhalese and Tamils should ensure reconciliation and politicians on both sides should be flexible and hammer out a political power sharing deal.

Source

AFP/UCA News
Image: Wikimedia Commons