Declaration called ‘expedient’ as Ranil Wickremesinghe tries to curb unrest over ongoing political and economic crises
, was nominated by the ruling party as its candidate to be the next president but protesters also want him gone, leading to the prospect of further unrest should he be elected.
Wickremesinghe, who has now been prime minister six times, stands accused of protecting and propping up the Rajapaksa family dynasty for years, shielding them from corruption charges and enabling their return to power. The public frustration at Wickremesinghe has manifested multiple times, from his private residence being burned down to his offices beingWickremesinghe will be the candidate for the Rajapaksas’ ruling party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna , which still has the largest number of seats in parliament. He stands a high chance of being elected after the vote by MPs in parliament scheduled for next Tuesday or Wednesday.
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