Colombo: Ranil Wickremesinghe won the Sri Lankan presidential elections today, succeeding Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He will become the 8th President of the nation and shall remain in office until 2024. He has served as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister six times previously.
Official results showed Wickremesinghe polled 134 votes in a three-cornered parliamentary vote, with his main opponent Dullas Alahapperuma getting 82. Just after his appointment, the new President said “the country is in a very difficult situation, and that we have big challenges ahead.
A fuel shortage, rising global food prices, compounded with crushing policy mistakes, and pandemics have altogether created a crisis with no easy solutions. Hospitals are still functioning and sanitation trucks still roam around.
India has been the only nation to extend a helping hand with USD 4 billion loan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also said that no other country has supported Sri Lanka as much as India in terms of fuel, food, medicines, and other essentials.
As an acting president, Wickremesinghe has extended a state of emergency that shall give police as well as security forces sweeping powers. Last week, he had ordered troops to evict protesters from state buildings that were occupied.