COLOMBO: A wave of anger swept Sri Lanka on Wednesday after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has promised to step down, won a vote in parliament to be the country’s next president until 2024.
MPs voted to choose a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the ousted president who fled the country on July 13 to escape a popular uprising over the role his family — Sri Lanka’s most influential political dynasty — played in the country’s worst-ever economic meltdown.
Protests flared in Colombo in March and have spread across the country since people have been struggling with daily power cuts and shortages of basic commodities, such as fuel, food and medicines, as the country’s foreign currency reserves have run out, leaving it unable to pay for imports.
When Rajapaksa left, he made his ally Wickremesinghe acting president, a decision that triggered more protests.
Wednesday’s vote was held to choose a new president to complete Rajapaksa’s term, which expires in 2024.
The 225-member parliament gave 134 votes to Wickremesinghe and 82 to the other main candidate, ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party lawmaker Dullas Alahapperuma, who was supported by the opposition. A third candidate, Anura Dissanayaka, leader of the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, received only three votes.
“I have been in the legislature for 43 years, and I know the problems faced by the country as well as by the people,” Wickremesinghe said in parliament after the election.
“Let us be united to take the country forward for the betterment of the nation. Let us chalk out a new road map to develop the country and the participation of all parties and rescue the people.”
Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister in May, after Rajapaksa’s elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was forced to resign when anti-government demonstrations turned deadly. He also took on the role of finance minister, becoming the public face of the country’s economic woes.
A seasoned lawmaker, Wickremesinghe has been prime minister six times but has never completed his term. He announced on July 9 that he was willing to step down and allow an all-party government to take over after thousands of protesters descended on the capital Colombo in one of the largest anti-government marches in the crisis-hit country this year.
As Wickremesinghe will be sworn in as president on Thursday, protesters said they would continue to demonstrate, as they gathered in front of the Presidential Secretariat despite a state of emergency being in place since last week.
Namal Jayaweera, leader of the protest movement, told Arab News at the demonstration site that people are “angry and disappointed over this election, and they feel that their representatives in the parliament have let them down.”
“His election as president is as good as one of the Rajapaksa coming to power which means all our efforts are in vain,” Jayaweera said. “We will intensify our protests undaunted in the coming days to remove him from office.”
Senaka Perera, a prominent lawyer representing the protesters, told Arab News they were not going to accept the result of the parliament vote as Wickremesinghe’s appointment was “against the wishes of the public.”
“Wickremesinghe will continue to follow the orders of the Rajapaksa family,” Perera said.
“Ranil Wickremesinghe has been brought in by the Rajapaksa regime. Therefore, our peaceful protests will go on against Ranil Wickremesinghe and the corrupt system.”
![]()
Anger sweeps Sri Lanka after parliament votes in Ranil Wickremesinghe as president
Short Url
https://arab.news/mwjc5
Anger sweeps Sri Lanka after parliament votes in Ranil Wickremesinghe as president
- Parliament chose Wickremesinghe to complete ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term
- Demonstrators say they will intensify their protests
US moves to counter China in Bangladesh, plans to pitch defense alternatives
DHAKA: The United States is concerned about China’s expanding presence in South Asia and is planning to offer Bangladesh’s next government US and allied defense systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware, Washington’s ambassador to Dhaka told Reuters. Bangladesh votes in a general election on Thursday after a Gen Z-led uprising toppled India-allied premier Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. She has since taken refuge in New Delhi, allowing China to deepen its influence in Bangladesh as India’s presence wanes. China recently signed a defense agreement with Bangladesh to build a drone factory near the India border, worrying foreign diplomats. Bangladesh is also in talks with Pakistan to buy JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed with China.
“The United States is concerned about growing Chinese influence in South Asia and is committed to working closely with the Bangladeshi government to clearly communicate the risks of certain types of engagement with China,” US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The US offers a range of options to help Bangladesh meet its military capability needs, including US systems and those from allied partners, to provide alternatives to Chinese systems,” he said without offering further details.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Christensen also said that President Donald Trump’s administration would “like to see a good relationship between Bangladesh and India to support stability in the region.” New Delhi-Dhaka relations have nosedived since Hasina fled, badly affecting visa services and cricket ties between the two neighbors.
COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IS PRIORITY
Christensen said many US businesses were looking at potentially investing in Bangladesh but would want the next government to show early and clear signs that it is “open for business.”
“Commercial diplomacy is one of our top priorities, and we look forward to working with the new government to build on progress made with the interim government, particularly in strengthening commercial, economic, and security ties,” he said.
Energy producer Chevron has been in Bangladesh for decades but not many other US companies are visible in the densely populated country of 175 million people, as high taxes and difficulties repatriating profits have created some hurdles.
There are no Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Washington would work with “whichever government is elected by the Bangladeshi people.” The race is between two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, with opinion polls suggesting the BNP holds an advantage.
AID FOR ROHINGYA REFUGEES
Regarding the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh, the ambassador said the United States remained the largest contributor to humanitarian operations.
“The US remains the largest contributor to the Rohingya refugee response and continues robust health programming in Bangladesh,” he said, noting a recent $2 billion worldwide funding framework signed with the United Nations to improve the effectiveness of such assistance, including in Bangladesh.
He urged other international donors to take on a greater share of the burden.
“The US cannot sustain the bulk of the effort alone. International partners need to increase their support for the Rohingya response,” he said. In recent years, the UN refugee agency has been struggling to raise sufficient funds to support the Rohingya community, leading to cuts in their rations and the closure of some schools for them.
“The United States is concerned about growing Chinese influence in South Asia and is committed to working closely with the Bangladeshi government to clearly communicate the risks of certain types of engagement with China,” US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The US offers a range of options to help Bangladesh meet its military capability needs, including US systems and those from allied partners, to provide alternatives to Chinese systems,” he said without offering further details.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Christensen also said that President Donald Trump’s administration would “like to see a good relationship between Bangladesh and India to support stability in the region.” New Delhi-Dhaka relations have nosedived since Hasina fled, badly affecting visa services and cricket ties between the two neighbors.
COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IS PRIORITY
Christensen said many US businesses were looking at potentially investing in Bangladesh but would want the next government to show early and clear signs that it is “open for business.”
“Commercial diplomacy is one of our top priorities, and we look forward to working with the new government to build on progress made with the interim government, particularly in strengthening commercial, economic, and security ties,” he said.
Energy producer Chevron has been in Bangladesh for decades but not many other US companies are visible in the densely populated country of 175 million people, as high taxes and difficulties repatriating profits have created some hurdles.
There are no Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Washington would work with “whichever government is elected by the Bangladeshi people.” The race is between two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, with opinion polls suggesting the BNP holds an advantage.
AID FOR ROHINGYA REFUGEES
Regarding the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh, the ambassador said the United States remained the largest contributor to humanitarian operations.
“The US remains the largest contributor to the Rohingya refugee response and continues robust health programming in Bangladesh,” he said, noting a recent $2 billion worldwide funding framework signed with the United Nations to improve the effectiveness of such assistance, including in Bangladesh.
He urged other international donors to take on a greater share of the burden.
“The US cannot sustain the bulk of the effort alone. International partners need to increase their support for the Rohingya response,” he said. In recent years, the UN refugee agency has been struggling to raise sufficient funds to support the Rohingya community, leading to cuts in their rations and the closure of some schools for them.
Latest updates
Recommended
© 2026 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.