Colombo, July 20: Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the President of Sri Lanka in a crucial Parliament vote on Wednesday. Mr. Wickremesinghe polled 134 votes as opposed to 82 votes for his main opponent Dullas Alahapperuma getting, official resuts showed.
The Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday began voting to elect the successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a three-way presidential contest, following a high-voltage political drama which saw the former President fleeing the country and resigning after a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy.
Amid public unrest due to the unprecedented economic crisis followed by a political turmoil in the country, a senior Indian government official posted in Sri Lanka sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault, the Indian High Commission said on Tuesday as it urged its nationals to remain aware of the latest developments in the island nation and plan their movements and activities accordingly.
Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe; the formerly Rajapaksa-aligned, and now independent Dullas Alahapperuma; and the leftist Anura Kumara Dissanayake were on Tuesday nominated by parties in Parliament, a day ahead of the poll through a secret ballot. (Agencies)
