Bhubaneswar/Colombo: Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister-turned-acting President of Sri Lanka, was elected as the new President of the island nation on Wednesday.
Wickremesinghe competed with the support of the section of former President Rajapksa’s party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to flee the country following three months of continuous protests after people were burdened by the debt-ridden economy with skyrocketing inflation.
People blamed Rajapaksa for his unforeseen decisions with massive tax cut and overnight change from inorganic farming to organic for the downfall of food production and loss of jobs for majority of farmers.
With no fuel, cooking gas, medicine, food and fertiliser, people took to the streets from March 31 and amid mounting public protest Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet had to step down on May 9 and on July 9, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that he would resign when protesters took over his official residence, office and Prime Minister’s official house, the Temple trees.
However, Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives and later to Singapore from where he announced his resignation. In the absence of a President, Wickremesinghe was appointed the Acting President.
