Colombo: Amidst the ongoing economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka, the new President of the country has been elected today. Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected the new President of Sri Lanka. Wickremesinghe has been the Prime Minister for 6 times before this. In the past, he had resigned from the post of PM amid political turmoil. Gotabaya was acting as the caretaker president after Rajapaksa fled the country.
In the presidential race, Wickremesinghe was up against Dullas Alahapperuma and Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Voting began at 10 am local time. The first vote was cast by the speaker and the second vote by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
4 votes were invalid
Two MPs were absent in the 223-member parliament and a total of 219 votes were declared valid. There were 4 votes which were declared invalid. Wickremesinghe has lost the presidential election twice before and now he has become the President of the country.
Tamil National People’s Front (TNFP) general secretary and MP Selvarasa Gajendran did not vote. Many MPs have already cast their votes. Security was tightened for voting.
Tenure will be till November 2024
The presidential candidate who replaces Gotabaya will win a tripartite contest and head a country that has already become impoverished. In talks with IMF for a bailout package. In Sri Lanka, 22 million people are facing a shortage of food, fuel, and medicines. The new president will serve for the remainder of former President Rajapaksa’s term until November 2024.
Wickremesinghe has long experience in politics
Ranil Wickremesinghe has long experience in politics. He has been the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka 6 times. His United National Party has only one MP in Parliament. Ranil has also been a journalist and lawyer before joining politics. In 1977, he became a Member of Parliament for the first time after winning the general election. He became PM for the first time in 1993.
