Sri Lanka Prez Polls HIGHLIGHTS: Protesters Gather Outside Secretariat, Wickremsinghe Calls For Unity Through Crisis
Sri Lanka Presidential Election HIGHLIGHTS: Dullas Alahapperuma has the edge over Ranil Wickremesinghe after he received crucial backing from Opposition parties.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elected as the new president of Sri Lanka in an election held in parliament on Wednesday, called on all legislators, including the opposition parliamentarians, to unite and work together with him to pull the country out of the current economic crisis.
Addressing the Parliament after winning the election, Wickremesinghe said, "We are at a critical juncture. There is an economic crisis and the youth want a system change. People want all parliamentarians to come together."
Dullas Alahapperuma, the dissident leader of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, who was defeated in the presidential election on Wednesday, said the primary task of the lawmakers must be to overcome the unprecedented economic crisis and rebuild public trust in the country’s political system.
Alahapperuma expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for their unflinching support, and termed this defeat an “encouraging guidance”.
He is been in politics for past 45 years. For past 28 years, he was leader of one party who could never become President. I think it is fate. Country is in a situation out of which only Ranil Wickremesinghe can take us out, everyone believes this: Harin Fernando, Sri Lankan minister
Protesters gather outside the Presidential Secretariat after Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as Sri Lanka President.
Ranil Wickremesinghe: 134 Votes
Dullas Alahapperuma: 82 Votes
Anura Kumara Dissanayake: 3 Votes
"The country is in a very difficult situation, we have big challenges ahead," said Sri Lanka's newly appointed President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Ranil Wickremesinghe elected as 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka.
Out of the total 223 votes cast in the Sri Lanka Presential elections, 219 are valid, while 4 are unvalid.
The result of the Sri Lanka Presidential elections is likely to be announced by 12:30 PM today, as per the information. So far, 2 MPs did not vote while 1 was disqualified.
Voting begins to elect Sri Lanka's new president in a three-cornered contest, news agency PTI reported.
Colombo | Security strengthened outside Sri Lankan Parliament ahead of the Presidential elections in the country, today.
For the first time in 44 years, Sri Lanka's Parliament will directly elect a President on Wednesday in a triangular contest, with last minute political maneuvering indicating an edge for Dullas Alahapperuma over Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe after he received crucial backing from the Opposition parties as well as a majority of lawmakers from his parent party.
Wickremesinghe, Alahapperuma and leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were proposed by lawmakers on Tuesday as the three candidates for the July 20 presidential election to pick the successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he resigned following a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy that forced him to flee the country.
Sri Lanka parliament will vote today to elect new President after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and resigned amid economic turmoil. Three leaders, including Prime Minister-turned-acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dullas Alahapperuma, are to contest in the first-ever presidential race in Sri Lanka.
Background
Sri Lanka Presidential Election HIGHLIGHTS: Three leaders, including Prime Minister-turned-acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dullas Alahapperuma, are to contest in the first-ever presidential race in Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Reports said Dullas Alahapperuma has the edge over Wickremesinghe after he received crucial backing from the Opposition parties as well as a majority of lawmakers from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party.
Alahapperuma, a leader of the SLPP breakaway faction, Wickremesinghe, and leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were proposed by lawmakers in 225 member assembly as the three candidates for the presidential election to pick the successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Last week, Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned as Sri Lankan President after he fled to Singapore amid massive protests against his government's mishandling of the economy.
In a surprise move on Tuesday, Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the principal opposition party SJB, backed out in favour of Alahapperuma. Alahapperuma expressed his gratitude to Premadasa for backing him and withdrawing from the presidential election.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) have decided to vote for Alahapperuma in the election.
The SLPP chairman said a majority of his party was in favour of appointing Alahapperuma as the President. He said SLPP lawmakers have agreed to appoint 55-year-old Sajith Premadasa as the Prime Minister.
However, Vajira Abeywardena, a key Wickremesinghe aide, predicted that the acting president would emerge the runaway winner with 125 votes, PTI reported.
- - - - - - - - - Advertisement - - - - - - - - -