Sri Lanka’s parliament to elect new president on July 20
FILE PHOTO: A person holds a placard demanding Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign after his government lost its majority in the parliament, amid the country’s economic crisis, during a protest near to a road leading to the parliament building in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 5, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte
COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s parliament will reconvene on July 15 and a new president will be elected on July 20, the parliamentary speaker said Monday, as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa plans to resign on Wednesday amid a devastating economic crisis.
“Nominations for the next president will be presented to parliament on 19 July. On 20 July parliament will vote to elect a new president,” 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 and to take forward essential services.”
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