Sri Lanka’s new president to be sworn in by evening

EconomyNext – Sri Lanka’s newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena is to be sworn in Friday evening, opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told a news conference.

Wickremesinghe, who will be appointed prime minister under Sirisena, urged calm following the defeat of incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa conceded defeat and left his official residence early Friday morning even before the vote count was over when it became clear Sirisena had a clear lead over him in Thursday’s poll.