Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been sworn in as the acting President as the country reels from an economic crisis and unrest.
He replaced Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to Singapore after unprecedented mass protests which saw demonstrators overrun the Presidential palace. Protesters defied a curfew to celebrate his resignation during the night, as the country is experiencing economic chaos, and facing an acute shortage of food, fuel and other basic supplies.
The process for Parliament to elect a new President will begin on Saturday, July 16, 2022, with Members of Parliament likely to take a vote in a week’s time. Given the governing party with a majority, Members of Parliament are thought likely to back Mr. Wickremesinghe, who has close links with the Rajapaksa family.
Choice in the Hands of Sri Lankans
But as to whether Sri Lanka’s public would accept this is another matter because Mr. Wickremesinghe’s resignation as Prime Minister is a key demand of the protestors. Earlier this week, crowds stormed the former Prime Minister’s compound, clashing with security forces. A demonstrator, Manuri Pabasari, told the media at the time that a protest rally against Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected in the coming days.
“He has no people’s mandate [and] is a well-known Rajapaksa supporter,” adding that “I mean the new President and the new Prime Minister should be not a Rajapaksa supporter.”
Stable Government or Shutdown
The governor of Sri Lanka’s Central Bank, Nandalal Weerasinghe, has warned the country may shut down if no stable government is formed within the shortest possible time. There is a “lot of uncertainty” over whether enough foreign exchange can be found to pay for essential petroleum, Weerasinghe disclosed to reporters in an interview, pointing out that, progress on getting an international bailout package depended on having a stable administration.
Meanwhile, Singapore has revealed that the ousted President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, did not ask for political asylum when he arrived there. The former President, who arrived with his wife and two bodyguards, no longer has legal immunity as a head of state and his position is now more dangerous as he tries to find a safe country to shelter in. Reports by Sri Lankan security sources suggested Rajapaksa is expected to stay in Singapore for some time before possibly moving to the United Arab Emirates.
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