Colombo, July 16: The process of electing a new president in Sri Lanka to succeed Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned after unprecedented protests against his government over the country's economic collapse, has started with four contenders in the race.
Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, main Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Dullas Alahapperuma, a breakaway SLPP candidate, are the leaders who have so far announced their candidacy to contest the July 20 vote in Parliament. They will be contesting to succeed Rajapaksa for the rest of his term until November 2024.
Parliament met for a brief special session on Saturday to announce the vacancy in the presidency following the resignation of Rajapaksa.
During the 13-minute special session, Dhammika Dassanayake, Secretary General of Parliament, announced the vacancy for the post of president. Dasanayake said that nominations for the election of the new president will be heard on Tuesday and if there is more than one candidate, the lawmakers will vote on Wednesday. Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Dissanayake, 53, on Saturday officially declared his intention to contest the election. "The main reason for this is that we feel that our party and our leader represents many of the aspirations and in fact the spirit of the people's movement that has been taking place in our country for so long," his party's spokesperson Harini Amarasuriya told reporters.
Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Premadasa, while officially declaring his intention to contest the vote, said, "Even though it is an uphill struggle, I am convinced that truth will prevail." The 225-member Parliament is dominated by Rajapaksa's ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party. The ruling SLPP which officially announced its backing for Wickremesinghe, the acting president, found some resistance to its decision from within. Its chair GL Peiris said the party should not vote for anyone other than its own member. He said the party must back Alahapperuma, a breakaway SLPP candidate who has put himself forward to the vote.
Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Premadasa, while officially declaring his intention to contest the vote, said, "Even though it is an uphill struggle, I am convinced that truth will prevail." The 225-member Parliament is dominated by Rajapaksa's ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party. The ruling SLPP which officially announced its backing for Wickremesinghe, the acting president, found some resistance to its decision from within. Its chair GL Peiris said the party should not vote for anyone other than its own member. He said the party must back Alahapperuma, a breakaway SLPP candidate who has put himself forward to the vote.
Ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in his resignation letter that he took “all possible steps” to avert the Sri Lankan crisis. The president’s letter was read out at a special session of the Parliament on Saturday. In other news, Sri Lanka received the first of three fuel shipments on Saturday, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said, reported PTI. These are the first shipments to reach the country in about three weeks.
Earlier on Saturday, India’s High Commissioner Gopal Baglay called on Sri Lanka’s Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and assured him that India will continue to support democracy, stability and economic recovery in the country. India has been the principal source of foreign assistance to Sri Lanka this year.
The new president is expected to be elected on July 20 and will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024. In the meantime, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as the interim president of the country. The newly-elected president is likely to appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.
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