Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe wins Presidential Poll

Jul 20, 2022

Colombo (Sri Lanka), July 20 (ANI): Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe won the Presidential Election on July 20 amid the ongoing economic turmoil in the island nation. Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the new President after voting in Sri Lankan Parliament. He received 134 votes. SLPP Parliamentarian Dullas Alahaperuma received 82 votes while National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake received three votes. Wickremesinghe, who has served as the Prime Minister of the island nation six times, was among the top contender for the Presidential election in which members of the House voted through a secret ballot. Earlier, Wickremesinghe was appointed as the new president of Sri Lanka after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled abroad when his palace was stormed by angry protesters amid the unprecedented economic crisis.