Sri Lanka Begins Search for New Leader

On Jul 16, 2022

The Sri Lankan lawmakers have begun the process of choosing a new leader to serve the rest of the term abandoned by the president.

The president fled abroad and resigned after mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister has been sworn in as interim president until the parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose term ends in 2024.

According to the Parliament speaker, Mahinda Abeywardena said that “a swift and transparent political process should be done within a week.

“The new President could appoint a new Prime Minister, who would then have to be approved by parliament.”

Parliaments Secretary General, Dhammika Dasanayake said that nominations for the election of the new president will be heard on Tuesday, and if there is more than one candidate, the lawmakers will vote on Wednesday.

Dasanayake also read Gotabaya’s resignation letter out loud in Parliament.

In the letter, Gotabaya says he was stepping down following requests by the people of Sri Lanka and political party leaders.

He notes that the economic crisis was looming even when he took office in 2019 and was aggravated by frequent lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.

AF/CO