MPs pick ex-PM seen as close to ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a move likely to frustrate protesters
and worked out in his gym. Amid the anger, Rajapaksa was forced to flee to Singapore via the Maldives and his resignation was formally announced last Friday.
Many fear Wickremesinghe will protect the Rajapaksas from being held accountable, as he has been accused of doing in the past, and would not instigate the constitutional change being demanded by the protest movement, including an end to the system of executive presidency. Speaking to reporters outside a Buddhist temple he was visiting on Wednesday afternoon, Wickremesinghe made it clear he would not tolerate those he perceived to be stirring up violence.
However, people defied the order and dozens gathered on the steps of the president’s offices, which are still occupied by the protest movement, to shout rallying cries of “deal Ranil” – a reference to Wickremesinghe’s reputation as a scheming politician – as well as “Ranil bank robber”, referring to a bank bond scam he was implicated in. Hundreds of police and military stood on the periphery but did not interfere in the rally.
Wickremesinghe beat competition from another SLPP MP, Dullas Alahapperuma, who was part of a breakaway group and who had formed a coalition with the major opposition parties. However, it appeared that in the vote most of the ruling party MPs had rallied behind Wickremesinghe and secured his victory with 134 votes out of 219, while Alahapperuma got just 82.
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