The five-time prime minister has inherited a nation barreling toward bankruptcy and saddled with foreign debt so big that it has no money left for basic imports. Sri Lankans are struggling to access the bare necessities like food, fuel, medicine, cooking gas and even toilet paper and matches.
But time may not be on his side as reforms are slow and people want results now. He's also a one-man party in Parliament -- the only lawmaker from his party to hold a seat after it suffered a humiliating defeat in a 2020 election. Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debt due this year. It owes $26 billion through 2026 out of a total of $51 billion.
"His proposals are good for medium and long term. But people want immediate changes to take place and that they don't see," said political analyst Jehan Perera, adding that some see Wickremesinghe as helping Rajapaksa to stay in power.
As new PM fights to save economy? Yeah okay another puppet
Russia will bail them out