Sri Lanka Picks Ousted Leader Friend As President, Risking Further Fury From Public
LAGOS JULY 20TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Sri Lankan acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe was selected by Parliament Wednesday as the country’s new leader, after widespread protests ousted the unpopular Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier in July. His elevation is likely to spark further backlash from the public, who see him part as of the political elite and an ally of the Rajapaksa regime that had brought the island nation to an economic crisis.
Wickremsinghe was comfortably elected with 134 votes in the 225-member Parliament. His term ends in 2024. He was backed by Rajakapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, and had become prime minister in May after Rajapaksa’s elder brother, Mahinda, resigned from that position.
The new president tried to strike a conciliatory note after his victory, telling lawmakers that the people were asking for a new political culture. “I want to start work from tomorrow with you. Let’s all join together,” he said.
Wickremesinghe, who became acting president after Rajapaksa fled last week, declared a state of emergency before the vote that granted sweeping powers to security forces. On Wednesday morning, security was beefed up around Parliament in anticipation of protests.
In recent weeks, demonstrators stormed and occupied the homes and offices of the president and the prime minister. They later withdrew from many of the buildings, but have continued to camp at the presidential office. On Wednesday morning, dozens of protesters sat on the steps of the grand colonial-era building in a silent protest.
“Even if [the vote is] over today, it’s not over. We have to ensure they follow what we want,” said Caryll Tozer, a women’s rights activist who participated in the protests.
Sri Lanka is in the grips of a deep economic crisis, with severe fuel shortages bringing the country to near-standstill. Soaring food prices have pushed many into poverty. Ongoing political instability has stalled critical negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a bailout package.
The Washington Post
Short URL: https://newsrangers.com/?p=91037
Posted by News Rangers
on Jul 20 2022. Filed under International, National.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
