COLOMBO: In the hopes that he would lead the nation out of a dire economic and political crisis, Sri Lankan parliamentarians elected acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe as their new leader on Wednesday.
After the votes were counted, the secretary general of parliament declared that Ranil Wickremesinghe had been chosen as the eighth executive president in accordance with the constitution.
Many common Sri Lankans opposed to Wickremesinghe, and their victory may spur additional protests from disgruntled citizens following months of severe gasoline, food, and medical shortages, according to several demonstrators.
The opposition and demonstrators found the other leading candidate, legislator for the ruling party Dullas Alahapperuma, to be more agreeable, but he lacked expertise in high-level governance in a nation that had no money for imports and was in critical need of an IMF bailout.
In the 225-member parliament, Wickremesinghe received 134 votes, while Alahapperuma received 82. Only three votes were cast for the third contender, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka.
