Sri Lanka crisis live updates | Sri Lanka acting President Wickremesinghe declares emergency ahead of parliamentary vote
The Hindu
The parliamentary vote to elect a new president is to be held on July 20.
Sri Lanka’s acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe renewed the country’s state of emergency Monday ahead of a parliamentary vote to pick a new head of state — a poll in which he is a leading candidate.
Ranil Wickremesinghe automatically became acting president when Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned last week after fleeing to Singapore.
In depth | Sri Lanka crisis
Police and the military have already stepped up security ahead of Wednesday’s vote to elect a president for the remainder of Mr. Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in November 2024.
Mr. Wickremesinghe, a six-time former prime minister, is being backed for the position by Mr. Rajapaksa’s party, which remains the largest in the legislature.
Editorial | Fleeing, quitting: On the decline and fall of Gotabaya Rajapaksa
The ex-president was forced to flee when tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence after months of demonstrations across the country demanding his resignation over the country’s economic crisis.