Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Friday sworn in as acting president, replacing Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled to Singapore following months of protest amid economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe (73) took his oath of office before chief justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.

Rajapaksa officially resigned on Friday morning ending days of uncertainty since the widely despised leader fled the island, dislodged by monumental public protests over a grave economic crisis.