Sri Lankan lawmakers have chosen six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president to succeed the ousted leader who fled the country in a vote that risks reigniting political turmoil in the troubled South Asian island nation.
Dullas Alahapperuma, a former government minister and spokesman, was nominated by a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition, and ethnic minority parties also said they’ll support him. Marxist party leader Anura Dissanayake was running.
Presidents in Sri Lanka are normally elected by the public. The responsibility falls on Parliament only if the office of president becomes vacant before a term officially ends. Wickremesinghe, 73, has wide experience in diplomatic and international affairs and has been leading the crucial IMF talks. Serving in a double role as the finance minister, he has delivered weekly addresses in Parliament cautioning that the path out of the crisis would be difficult, while also pledging to overhaul a government that increasingly has concentrated power under the presidency.
He had looked to be leading contender during a deadlock in discussions for an alliance between Alahapperuma and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa over who should be the presidential candidate. But support grew quickly for Alahapperuma after Premadasa withdrew and threw his support to him. Wickremesinghe is a six-time prime minister making his third attempt at the highest office after losing presidential elections in 1999 and 2005.
Alahapperuma, 63, is viewed as a populist, with good public relations and communications skills. Even though he is a former government spokesman and has served in various posts including minister of information and mass media, minister of sports and minister of power under previous governments he previously was not considered for top leadership posts.
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