Sri Lanka: Protestors demand resignation of Wickremesinghe ahead of presidential polls
Jul 19, 2022
Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 19 : Amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, a protest broke out in Colombo on Tuesday against acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe, demanding his resignation.
"Recently the President of the country was forced to resign by the people. And when he resigned, he made a decision to appoint the prime minister he subsequently appointed as the president. The acting president doesn't have the people's mandate. So there is a move by the acting president to become the permanent president," one of the protestors said.
"We are agitating and opposing that position and will protest until the acting president resigns," the protestor added.
The protestors argued that Ranil Wickremesinghe didn't come through a proper people's mandate.
"Since he was appointed by the regime. That corrupt regime is supporting Wickremesinghe. So we are forcing him to leave," said the protestors.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from the post of president last week following massive protests.
Following his resignation, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that Wickremesinghe, who was the prime minister then, was appointed acting president, and parliamentarians will have the chance to vote for the new president on July 20.
Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Dullas Alahapperuma, and National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were nominated for the post of president in parliament on Tuesday.
Members of parliament will meet on Wednesday morning and elect a new president for Sri Lanka.
Earlier on Tuesday, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who had earlier expressed his desire to contest for the post of president, announced that he would withdraw his presidential nomination.
He said his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will support Alahapperuma in the vote for the next president of Sri Lanka.
