Sri Lanka’s Wickremesinghe to face low-key lawmaker in tight race for president

COLOMBO, July 19 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s foremost opposition chief withdrew from the presidential race on Tuesday and promised assist to a low-profile politician from the ruling get together who will tackle performing president Ranil Wickremesinghe in a good contest.

The 225-seat parliament votes on Wednesday to decide on the brand new president, who will lead efforts to handle the nation’s financial and political collapse. The home finalised three candidates on Tuesday.

It was not instantly clear how a lot assist the 2 main candidates, 73-year-old Wickremesinghe and 63-year-old Dullas Alahapperuma, had in parliament.

Wickremesinghe is deeply unpopular amongst protesters who stormed his workplace and official residence earlier this month when he was prime minister, together with these of ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. However, Wickremesinghe is backed by a faction of the ruling get together to be president.

Former journalist and five-time lawmaker Alahapperuma has the assist of a separate faction of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) get together as all of us many within the opposition. learn extra

Protesters, angered by months-long shortages of gasoline and meals and rocketing costs after the nation practically ran out of {dollars} for imports, got here out on the streets on Tuesday in opposition to Wickremesinghe’s candidacy.

Outdoors Colombo’s foremost railway station, a gaggle of a number of hundred protesters shouted slogans in opposition to the Rajapaksa household and Wickremesinghe, who they see because the household’s candidate.

“We’re protesting once more Ranil. He’s a corrupted man,” mentioned Duminda Nagamuwa, one of many protest organisers. “If Ranil comes we can’t have stability.”

As parliament met to finalise nominees for the submit, opposition chief Sajith Premadasa mentioned he had dropped out of the race and would assist Alahapperuma.

“For the better good of my nation that I really like and the individuals I cherish, I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the place of president,” Premadasa mentioned on Twitter.

He mentioned his foremost opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya get together and “our alliance and our opposition companions will work onerous in the direction of making” Alahapperuma the winner.

Alahapperuma is seen as extra acceptable to the protesters than Wickremesinghe.

“I’m a reliable politician who can construct consensus not solely throughout get together strains in parliament however can get the assist of spiritual leaders, younger political activists, professionals and the broader public,” Alahapperuma mentioned in an announcement saying his nomination final week.

REBUILDING PHASE

Six-time prime minister Wickremesinghe took over as performing president final week after a well-liked rebellion in opposition to the rule of the Rajapaksa household compelled Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee to Singapore and resign.

The third presidential contestant is Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, the chief of the leftist Janatha Vimukti Peramuna get together, however he isn’t believed to have a practical probability since his get together and allies have solely three seats in parliament.

The subsequent president will full Rajapaksa’s time period that was scheduled to finish in 2024.

Hit onerous by the COVID-19 pandemic and tax cuts by the Rajapaksa authorities, tea-growing Sri Lanka is within the midst of its worst financial disaster because it received independence from Britain in 1948.

Inflation of over 50% and shortages of meals, gasoline and medicines have introduced hundreds onto the streets in months of protests that culminated in Rajapaksa’s ouster and compelled the nation to hunt assist from abroad.

India is keen to make extra investments in Sri Lanka after supporting it with $3.8 billion this 12 months, New Delhi’s envoy in Colombo informed the Indian Specific newspaper.

“The thought is to answer Sri Lanka’s requests for enabling them to satisfy their overseas change disaster,” mentioned Gopal Baglay, India’s excessive commissioner in Sri Lanka.

“We want to proceed to convey extra funding into Sri Lanka as a result of that may assist create medium- and long-term capability to reply inside the Sri Lankan financial system.”

Sri Lanka has additionally sought help from its fourth-biggest lender and India’s rival, China.

Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Uditha Jayasinghe
Writing by Krishna N. Das; Modifying by Raju Gopalakrishnan

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.