Sri Lanka’s parliament is set to vote for a new president today to replace Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled abroad last week amid security concerns as protesters barged into his official residence. The presidential vote will be a three-way contest, with Rajapaksa’s successor taking over a bankrupt nation that is battling severe food and fuel shortages. The front-runner for the top post is acting President and six-time former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, according to analysts, but protesters see him as a Rajapaksa ally.
Here are the Live Updates on Sri Lanka crisis:
Get TheSpuzz UpdatesTurn on notifications to receive alerts as this story develops.
Sri Lanka Crisis Live Updates: Parliament Briefed, Alarm Bell Rung For MPs To Arrive
The General Secretary of the Sri Lankan Parliament has briefed the MPs on the voting process to elect a new president. After the briefing ended, an alarm bell has been rung for all MPs to arrive.
Sri Lanka Crisis Live Updates: Voting Begins To Elect New Lanka President
Voting has begun in Sri Lankan parliament to elect a new President, who will replace Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he fled the country last week. Security has been tightened at the parliament and all roads leading to it have been barricaded. Police and special task force have been deployed in the perimeters of the parliament.
- Ranil Wickremesinghe has the backing of the Rajapaksas’ SLPP, the largest bloc in the 225-member parliament, for today’s secret ballot.
- As acting president, he has extended a state of emergency that gives police and security forces sweeping powers.
- An opposition MP said that his hardline stance against demonstrators was going down well with MPs who had been at the receiving end of mob violence.