Lankan president takes charge of economy

COLOMBO, Jan 21 (AFP): Sri Lanka's president announced Saturday that he would take control of the island's economy from the prime minister, as relations worsen between the ruling party and its main coalition partner.

Maithripala Sirisena said he would directly manage the economy through a special economic council headed by him, taking over the responsibility from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his United National Party (UNP).

"Although the UNP was allowed to manage the economy in the past three years, from this month, the President will take it over," his office said in a statement.

Sirisena joined hands with the UNP to topple Mahinda Rajapakse in January 2015, ending the strongman president's decade in power.