Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in Sri Lanka’s new PM

Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sworn in his brother and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister

Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sworn in his brother and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to name his Cabinet later, on the advice of the new prime minister.

Ranil Wickremesinghe stepped down as prime minister earlier Thursday to clear the way for the president to form his government.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is credited with a military victory ending a 26-year separatist civil war with ethnic Tamil rebels during his presidency from 2005 to 2015.