After days of political crisis, Sri Lanka finally got its new President as Ranil Wickremesinghe, aged 73 as he wins with 134 votes out of 223 votes. MPs GG Ponnambalam and Selvaraj Kajendram were absent.
The four time Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is all set to succeed Gotabayas who ruled the Island nation for long.
As per the official results, Wickremesinghe got 134 votes in a three-cornered parliamentary vote, with his main opponent Dullas Alahapperuma getting 82 and leftist Anura Dissanayake just three — giving him an absolute majority.
Soon after winning the election today, newly elected President addressed the speaker and sought permission from the Speaker to take oath outside the Parliament chamber within the Parliament complex.
He assured the Opposition that he would work with all parties to bail Sri Lanka out of the unprecedented economic crisis.
The election was held after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned, who was accused of mismanaging the island nation’s economy.
Wickremesinghe had the backing of Rajapaksas’ SLPP, the largest bloc in the 225-member parliament.
As per Reuters report, the newly elected President said, “The country is in a very difficult situation, we have big challenges ahead.”
However, the turmoil continues in Sri Lanka with protesters rejecting Rahil as their new President. The protesters staged ‘GoWickeremesinghe’ in the island nation as the nation went for the polls today.
Meanwhile, India on Wednesday categorically denied media reports that New Delhi is making efforts at the political level to influence leaders in Sri Lanka regarding elections in the Parliament for the post of the Sri Lankan President.
Taking to Twitter, India High Commission tweeted, “We have seen baseless and purely speculative media reports about efforts at the political level from India to influence political leaders in Sri Lanka regarding elections in the Sri Lankan Parliament to the post of the President of Sri Lanka,” the Indian High Commission tweeted.
“We categorically deny these media reports as completely false. They are clearly a figment of someone’s imagination. It is reiterated that India supports the realization of aspirations of the people of Sri Lanka in accordance with democratic means and values, established institutions as well as constitutional provisions, and doesn’t interfere in internal affairs and democratic processes of another country,” it added.
This statement comes as voting for the election of the Sri Lankan President concluded today. All the Sri Lankan MPs voted through a secret ballot.
(With inputs from agencies)