According to the official results, Wickremesinghe received 134 votes, against 82 for his main rival Dullas Alahapperuma and only three for the leftist Anura Dissanayake.
“Our divisions are over,” Wickremesinghe said in his acceptance speech, inviting Alahapperuma to “join” him in “leading the country out of the crisis we are facing.”
The president-elect, who expects to be sworn in on Wednesday, will complete Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in November 2024.
Wickremesinghe, 73, will take on a bankrupt Sri Lanka negotiating a rescue plan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)and whose 22 million inhabitants face shortage of food, fuel and medicine.
The new president irritates the protesters
Wickremesinghe had the formal endorsement of the SLPPRajapaksa’s party, but is repudiated by protesters, who see him as an ally of the outgoing president.
Months of demonstrations over an unprecedented economic crisis culminated in Rajapaksa’s resignation, announced last week from Singapore.
His departure was a blow to a once-powerful clan that dominated Sri Lankan political life for decades after his brothers resigned months ago as prime minister and finance minister.
Hard hand against the protests
Wickremesinghe, who took over as interim president after Rajapaksa resigned, extended the state of emergency which gives sweeping powers to security forces, and last week sent soldiers to clear out protesters occupying public buildings.
An opposition lawmaker noted that Wickremesinghe’s hard line against the protesters was welcomed by lawmakers affected by the violence of the protests.
“Ranil is outlined as in law and order candidateTamil lawmaker Dharmalingam Sithadthan told AFP.
“Ranil regained acceptance of the urban middle class by restoring some of its supplies, like gas, and liberated government buildings showing firmness,” said political analyst Kusal Perera.
Analysts believe Wickremesinghe will crack down hard if protesters, who have demanded his resignation, return to the streets, accusing him of protecting Rajapaksa’s interests.
Source: Ambito
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