Explained: Who is Ranil Wickremesinghe, old warhorse with a (tough) shot at making history as Sri Lanka’s President? | Explained News,The Indian Express

The five-time PM inspires more confidence in western capitals and in India than many other Sri Lankan politicians. But he will first need to convince his people that he is not a Rajapaksa proxy.

From presiding over the remains of the United National Party (UNP) after a stunning election defeat in which it failed to win a single seat to becoming President of his country, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s fortunes have changed dramatically in this history-making year in Sri Lanka.

The President of Sri Lanka

Wickremesinghe was elected by the Sri Lankan Parliament with 132 votes (in a House of 225) — and as per the Constitution, he will serve the remainder of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term that began in November 2019.

Wickremesinghe, who was a nominated parliamentarian from the UNP and had no other party colleagues in Parliament — the UNP did not win any seats in the 2019 parliamentary election, and Wickremesinghe himself lost his Colombo seat — was dependent mainly on the votes of the Rajapaksa party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

As it was a secret ballot, it is unclear if all SLPP members voted for him (rival candidate Dallas Alahapperuma was also from the SLPP) — and whether he also got the votes of others, including MPs from Sajith Premadasa’s Samagi Jana Balwegaya (SJB), which was formed by those who left the UNP after being disenchanted by Wickremesinghe’s leadership.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-ranil-wickremesinghe-old-warhorse-tough-shot-making-history-sri-lankas-president-8041328/


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