COLOMBO, May 14, 2022 (BSS/Xinhua) - Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa 
on Saturday appointed four ministers to the new cabinet after United National 
Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the South Asian country's 
prime minister on Thursday. 

   The new appointments are Dinesh Gunawardena as the minister of public 
administration, G.L. Peiris as the minister of foreign affairs, Prasanna 
Ranatunga as the minister of urban development, and Kanchana Wijesekera as 
the minister of power and energy, according to the President's Media 
Division. 

   Senior political officials said that more ministers will be appointed as 
the president and prime minister are urging all political parties to join 
hands to form a national government to tackle the ongoing political and 
economic instability in the country. 

   Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down on Monday, following 
violent incidents reported between pro-government groups and anti-government 
protesters.