- Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as acting president of Sri Lanka.
- He replaces Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled to Singapore.
- The process of parliament electing a new president will begin on Saturday.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, the prime minister of Sri Lanka, has been sworn in as acting president as the nation struggles with economic hardship and turmoil.
He succeeds Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who left for Singapore following unprecedented large-scale riots in which the presidential palace was seized by protesters.
A curfew was broken by protesters who wanted to celebrate his resignation at night.
Sri Lanka’s economy is in disarray as a result of a severe lack of food, gasoline, and other necessities.
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Beginning on Saturday, MPs will begin the process of choosing a new president, with a vote likely to occur within a week.
Due to the majority held by the governing party, MPs are anticipated to support Mr. Wickremesinghe, who has ties to the Rajapaksa family.
But since Mr. Wickremesinghe’s resignation as prime minister was a major demand of protestors, it is unclear whether Sri Lanka’s populace would accept this.
Crowds broke into the former prime minister’s compound earlier this week, battling with security personnel.
Nandalal Weerasinghe, the governor of Sri Lanka’s central bank, has issued a warning that the country may collapse if a stable government is not quickly created.
He told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that there was “a great deal of uncertainty” on whether there would be enough foreign currency available to pay for vital petroleum and that the development of an international bailout package depended on having a stable government.
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Singapore claims that the deposed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not request political asylum upon his arrival.
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The former president, who arrived with his wife and two bodyguards, is now in a more hazardous situation as he looks for a secure country to take refuge in because he no longer enjoys the legal immunity that comes with being the head of state.
According to Sri Lankan security officials who spoke to the AFP news agency, he is anticipated to remain in Singapore for a while before possibly relocating to the United Arab Emirates.
