Ally of ousted PM named as Sri Lanka’s new leader as police clear protest site

An ally of the Rajapaksa political family was appointed as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister, hours after security forces cleared the main protest site occupied for months by demonstrators (Rafiq Maqbool/AP)

An ally of the Rajapaksa political family has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister, hours after security forces cleared the main protest site occupied for months by demonstrators angry at the Rajapaksas over the country’s economic collapse.

New President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elected by politicians and sworn into office earlier this week, appointed his former school classmate Dinesh Gunawardena to succeed himself. Mr Gunawardena is 73 and belongs to a prominent political family.