Fri Sep 20 06:34:17 UTC 2024: ## Sri Lanka Parliament Elects Ranil Wickremesinghe as President, Replacing Fled Rajapaksa
**Colombo, Sri Lanka:** Sri Lanka’s Parliament has elected former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country’s new president. This comes just days after former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid escalating protests over the nation’s economic crisis. The vote, which saw Wickremesinghe secure the necessary majority, has been met with mixed reactions, with some protesters viewing it as a victory for the status quo.
While many welcomed the change in leadership, others expressed concerns that Wickremesinghe’s election wouldn’t bring about the desired systemic change necessary to address the root causes of Sri Lanka’s economic woes. The new president faces the daunting task of leading the nation through this turbulent period and tackling the multifaceted challenges that have crippled its economy and ignited public unrest.
First Piper 