'We are watching you': Protesters to Sri Lankan Parliament ahead of presidential election

Ahead of the presidential election, security was beefed up outside Sri Lankan Parliament as protesters gathered in Colombo.

As protesters burnt an effigy of acting Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe outside the presidential office, the message from the protesting street to the Sri Lankan Parliament is clear: we are watching you.

On the eve of Parliament meeting to elect a new president of Sri Lanka, the protesters, under the banner of Inter University Students Federation, met once again to impress upon the Parliamentarians to vote for a corruption-free Sri Lanka and not relics of the Rajapaksa era.

''We are watching all the Parliamentarians. Our work is only half finished with the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa That was step one. Ranil Wickremesinghe is also seen as part of the same environment. We want a clean break. Therefore, the future of our struggle Janatha Aragalya (people's protests) depends on who our leaders choose,'' says Visaka Jayaveera, a teacher and a protest leader in Colombo.

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Armoured personnel carriers, commandos, soldiers with assault rifles, and policemen behind layers of barricades have been set up to keep Parliament safe from protesters.

WHO WILL BE SRI LANKA'S PRESIDENT?

Ranil Wickremesinghe, six-time premier of Sri Lanka, was seen as a front-runner in these elections till a few days ago. But a day before polling, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa withdrew his candidature in favour of Dullas Alahapperuma, making him the Opposition candidate with support of some SLPP leaders, throwing a spanner in Wickremesinghe's plans.