Sri Lanka acting president asks parliamentary speaker to nominate new prime minister

FILE PHOTO: Ranil Wickremesinghe, newly appointed prime minister, arrives at a Buddhist temple after his swearing-in ceremony, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 12, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File Photo

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's acting president and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has asked the speaker of parliament to nominate a new prime minister, his media team said on Wednesday after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

"Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to nominate a prime minister who is acceptable to both the government and opposition," the team said in a statement.