Shawdesh Desk:

Newly-elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Wednesday named his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister of the island nation, news agency AFP reported.

The appointment came immediately after Ranil Wickremesinghe resigned as the PM, days after the ruling party’s candidate lost the presidential election to Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

In a statement, Wickremesinghe said that he had met President Rajapaksa on Tuesday and discussed the future of the country.

Despite his government having a majority in the Parliament, Wickremesinghe said he decided to step down in respect of the mandate in the Presidential polls, where Gotabhaya Rajapaksa defeated Wickremesinghe’s deputy Sajith Premadasa.