Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected new president of Sri Lanka. He is already serving as acting President of the island nation. He was six times PM. His candidature was supported by Rajapaksa brothers who enjoy majority in the 225-member Parliament.
The protester in Sri Lanka who occupied presidential palace and burnt prime minister’s residence, are dead opposed to Ranil whom they branded as close to Rajapakse brothers. The 73 year old Wickremesinghe is expected to bring law and order situation back to normal. He declared emergency as acting president. Politicians per se were opposing the demonstrators in the streets.
Wickremesinghe’s main opponent was former education minister Dullas Alahapperuma, a candidate backed by the opposition including Premadasa’s son. He is from SLPP. He was a journalist for some time. The third candidate Anura Dissanayake was from People’s Liberation Front, a Leftist conglomeration.
This election was held after weeks of massive demonstrations against Gotabaya and brothers. Gotabaya had fled the country. He went to Maldives and then to Singapore. A resignation letter was sent by him by mail. Then the Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s Chief Justice has given oath to Wickremesinghe as acting president.
