Sat | Jul 4, 2026

Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president

Published:Tuesday | July 19, 2022 | 10:38 AM
Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe gestures during an interview with The Associated Press in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, June 11, 2022. Sri Lanka’s prime minister and acting president, Wickremesinghe, will face two rivals in a parliamentary vote Wednesday, July 20, on who will succeed the ousted leader who fled the country last week amid huge protests triggered by its economic collapse. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's prime minister and acting president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, will face two rivals in a parliamentary vote Wednesday on who will succeed the ousted leader who fled the country last week amid huge protests triggered by its economic collapse.

Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, is a seasoned politician with wide experience in diplomatic and international affairs and has been leading crucial talks on an economic bailout package with the International Monetary Fund.

He is backed by members of the fragmented ruling coalition but is unpopular among voters who view him as a holdover from the previous government that led the country into economic catastrophe.

The 73-year-old Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister by deposed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in May to help restore Sri Lanka's international credibility.

The leading challenger, former government minister Dullas Alahapperuma, was nominated Tuesday by a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition after opposition leader Sajith Premadasa withdrew and said he would support him.

“For the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the position of president,” Premadasa said in a Twitter post.

Marxist party leader Anura Dissanayake, 53, was also expected to contest Wednesday's parliamentary vote.

He also ran for president in 2019.

Rajapaksa fled the country after protesters outraged by the crisis stormed his official residence and occupied other key public buildings.

He later submitted his resignation via an email to the speaker of Parliament.

Opponents of Wickremesinghe's candidacy fear he represents an extension of the Rajapaksa rule and a potential comeback for the beleaguered political family.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition against Wickremesinghe's status as a lawmaker, clearing the path for him to run for president.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.