A large number of protesters gathered outside the Secretariat in Kolombo Sri Lanka Wednesday when parliament members chose Ranil Wickremesinghe to succeed as President Rajabaya Gotapaksa – who fled from the island because of wrestling with the worst economic crisis. In the visuals distributed by online protesters can be seen holding the flag and raising the slogan -slogan outside the President’s office. The protesters said both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe – then the Prime Minister stopped, and warned more agitation if their demands were not fulfilled.
Disappointed protesters told Reuters that they saw ‘the same values, corruption and oppression in Ranil as seen in Gotabaya Rajapaksa’. “We will continue to protest until Ranil goes home. Maybe it takes a week, a month, two months, or 98 days. But we know that people in Sri Lanka will not stand for it. We will return to the streets on the streets and continue,” said one person.
One afternoon six times, Ranil Wickremesinghe defeated Dullas Dullas Alahapperuma and left Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayay in the presidential election to replace Rajapaksa. He got 134 votes at the house of 225 members.Alahappeuma got 82 votes and only three.
“My effort is to support consensus -based policy making to provide solutions to populations that suffer greatly. I believe that space for that is still there and I will continue to work to strengthen efforts and work for the people,” Wickremesinghe said later.
“This is just an important milestone in my career. I hope at least now you will process a mentality to listen to the masses suffering,” he was quoted by Reuters.The new preisden selection was needed after Rajapaksa fled – first to the Maldives and then to Singapore – to escape from a widespread protest. He fled when tens of thousands of protesters stormed his home and the President’s office in Colombo.
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