Sri Lankan MPs are all set to vote on Wednesday to elect a new president after former president Gotabaya Rajapakse fled the country.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa quit and ran away amid protests over the country’s economic crisis and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is currently interim president, has been nominated for the role by the ruling party and is being seen as the frontrunner.
However, along with Rajapakse Wickremesinghe too has been the target of the furious protesters’ rage who want him to go as well. Wickremesinghe faces strong resistance from Dullas Alahapperuma, a dissident ruling party MP backed by the main opposition.
Whoever is elected by parliament will have a mandate to serve out the rest of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in November 2024.
Sri Lanka is undergoing terrible bankruptcy and facing acute shortages of food, fuel, and other basic supplies therefore, the country needs a stable government to continue stalled negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package.
Rajapaksa’s administration and family, which have ruled the country for nearly two decades, have been accused of the current crisis. Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives last week after crowds took over government buildings, demanding political leaders – including Mr. Wickremesinghe – step down. Mr. Rajapaksa then flew to Singapore and officially resigned late on Thursday.