Sri Lanka, Nov. 20 -- Taking up his official duties as head of State last morning, newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa lost no time in getting down to the business of governmental leadership with the series of key administrative appointments at the heart of the state. The appointments were to the post of Secretary to the President and to some other key government ministries and institutions.

The seventh Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka assumed duties at the auspicious time of 10.51 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat amid the chanted blessings of the Maha Sangha.

President Rajapaksa was accorded a military guard of honour on arrival at the impressively colonnaded Presidential Secretariat buil...