Dinesh appointed as PM amidst Galle Face crackdown

The country’s new  Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, 73 was sworn in hours after soldiers and police cleared up the protest site outside President’s office early this morning.

Heavy security was deployed outside the Prime minister’s office where the swearing-in took place.  The attack came after a Gazette extraordinary was issued calling out the armed forces to maintain public order in all administrative districts. Several people were arrested and injured.

An 18 member interim cabinet too has been sworn with almost fhe same cabient that was under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.  Former Foreign Minister Prof G.L. Peiris and Ports and Shipping Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. 
 
Earlier in the more than 1000 soldiers and policemen stormed a protest site outside the President’s office and pushed back those involved in the protest. The proters are continuing to hold on to the site some 100 meters away from the original protest site where the Aragalaya campaign was launched over 100 days earlier.

Protesters said they hope to continue to hold on to the area where their tents are located.

However, they claimed that their tents and banners located at the original site has been removed by the Police. 

Fourteen persons including one female were hospitalised after being injured when the security forces and police dispersed them from the area around President's office. Nine have been arrested.
 
Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said the intention was to get the president’s office reopened which was not operational for more than 100 days as the main entrance to the premises was blocked.
 

The nine protesters have been produced before the Fort Magistrate and the he hearing is continuing. 

But, foreign missions in Colombo and human rights organisations have condemned the raid by the security and Police. 

US ambassador in a Twitter message says, "Deeply concerned about actions taken against protesters at Galle Face in the middle of the night.  We urge restraint by authorities & immediate access to medical attention for those injured"

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka says it strongly and unreservedly condemn the use of force and violence last night by the authorities in attacking protesters at Galle Face in the vicinity of the Presidential Secretariat.

UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy says: "Gravely concerned by use of force to disperse protesters.  Journalists and human rights defenders have a right to monitor demonstrations and their functions should not be impeded. Actions that stifle protests and the right to peaceful assembly can worsen economic and political stability in Sri Lanka. Peaceful solutions in accordance with broad public consultations is the only way forward."

The Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa condemned the attack on protesters by Government forces on the morning of July 22. 
 
The Opposition Leader, referring to the new government as the “Government with Rajapaksha shadows”, stated that the government has violated basic human rights in attacking peaceful protesters. 

A protest was also staged opposite the Fort Railway Station condemning the raid by security forces.

THE CABINET MINISTERS SWORN IN;

Dinesh Gunawardena-, Prime Minister and Public Administration, Provincial Council and Local Govt , Douglas Devananda - Fisheries, Susil Premajayantha -Education, Bandula Gunawardena -Transport and Highways, Keheliya Rambukwella- Health and Water Management, Mahinda Amaraweera -Agriculture, Wildlife and forest resources, Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe – Justice, Prisons and Constitutional Reforms- , Harin Fernando – Tourism and Lands, Dr Ramesh Pathirana - Plantations, Prasanna Ranatunga -Urban Development and Housing,Ali Sabry - Foreign, Vidura Wickremanayake -Buddha Sasana, Religious Affairs and Cultural,
Kanchana Wijesekara – Power and Energy, Nazeer Ahamed - Environment,
Roshan Ranasinghe- Sports,Youth Affairs and Irrigation, Manusha Nanayakkara- Labour and Foreign Employment, 
Tiran Alles- Public Security  and Nalin Fernando- Trade,Commerce and Food Securtiy .

 
Profile of New Prime minister
Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena is the 27th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
 
Dinesh Gunawardena followed his primary and secondary education in Royal College,Colombo where President Ranil Wickremesinghe was his school mate and later he did his higher education at University of Oregon and Graduated with BBA in international business.

He was appointed Mahajana Eksath Peramuna's (MEP) central committee in 1973 and later he was promoted to General Secretary of MEP in 1974.
Gunawardena entered the Parliament in 1983 as MEP’s candidate from the Maharagama Electoral District after loosing the election in 1977 .

He again successfully contested the Parliamentary election in 1989 as one of the MEP’s candidate from the Colombo Electoral district and failed to win in the 1994 parliamentary election.
 
MEP joined the People’s Alliance(PA) in 2000 and Gunawardena contested the parliamentary elections in 2000 as PA’s candidate and re-entered the Parliament was given his first Ministerial Portfolio of Transport and the additionally he was given for Environmental aswell.
 
He was the Minister for Urban Development and Water supply in 2004 and Minister for water supply and Drainage in 2010 before loosing his Cabinet Portfolio following the Presidential election in 2015.
 
He was re-elected in 2020 and became the Minister for Foreign affairs,Education and Public Administration.