Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Sworn in as Interim President

Sri Lankan interim president Ranil Wickremesinghe (R) greets Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya during the oath-taking ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 15, 2022. Sri Lankan President's Office via AP

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Sri Lanka’s prime minister was sworn in Friday as interim president until Parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled abroad and resigned after mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.

Lawmakers were to convene Saturday to choose a new leader who would serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024.