Presidential election in Sri Lanka: a political transition that is proving delicate
Protesters burn an effigy of Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe outside the President's office to demand his resignation in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. The banner on the left reads, 'Go home before you are kicked out ".
© AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In Sri Lanka, nearly a week after the official resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, now in exile in Singapore, parliamentarians will elect this Wednesday, July 20 a new head of state.
A political transition that is proving delicate, because if the Rajapaksa clan is no longer in the race, their party remains in the majority in the Assembly.
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With our correspondent in the region,
Sébastien Farcis
Three candidates are competing for the highest executive position: the best known, and the favorite, is the current Prime Minister, who also holds the interim presidency.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, 73, is a veteran of Sri Lankan politics, and has been prime minister six times under different majorities.
He is the only member of his party in the Assembly, but enjoys the support of the SLPP, the party of the Rajapaksa which has the relative majority there.
Ranil Wikremesinghe
is not very popular these days, however, due to his collaboration with the hated Rajapaksa clan.
Facing him, a surprise adversary: Dullas Alahapperuma, minister under the recent Rajapaksa government and dissident of their SLPP party.
He is the moderate opposition candidate.
The 63-year-old former journalist has recently challenged the ruling clan and has pledged, if elected, to appoint parliamentary opposition leader
Sajith Premadasa
as prime minister .
The last candidate comes from the radical left, which has three seats in Parliament.
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Gotabaya Rajapaksa