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Sri Lanka to get new president next week amid political and economic meltdown
[NYPOST] Sri Lanka’s parliament will elect a new president on July 20, its speaker said on Monday, after protesters stormed the residences of the current president and prime minister, who have both offered to quit amid an economic meltdown.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had overseen a ruthless crushing of the Tamil Tigers snuffies as defense secretary, is set to resign on Wednesday. His brothers and nephew earlier quit as ministers as Sri Lanka began running out of fuel, food and other essentials in the worst crisis since independence from Britannia in 1948. Parliament will reconvene on Friday and will vote to elect a new president five days later, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said in a statement. "During the party leaders’ meeting held today it was agreed that this was essential to ensure a new all-party government is in place in accordance with the Constitution," the statement added. "The ruling party has said the prime minister and the Cabinet are ready to resign to appoint an all-party government." Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose private home was set alight by protesters, has said he will step down. His office said Rajapaksa had confirmed his resignation plans to the prime minister, adding that the cabinet would resign once a deal was reached to form an all-party government. Related: Sri Lanka: 2022-07-11 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 10th, 2022 Sri Lanka: 2022-07-10 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 9th, 2022 Sri Lanka: 2022-07-10 Sri Lankan President flees, PM calls for emergency party meeting; Pres, PM to quit Posted by: Fred 2022-07-12 |
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