However, the new head of state does not have public support.
Deputies of the Parliament of Sri Lanka< /strong> elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country's new president, despite his unpopularity with the public, the BBC reports.
Wickremesinghe is tasked with leading the country out of economic collapse and restoring public order after months of mass protests.
He defeated his main rival for the post, Dullus Alahapperuma, by 134 votes to 82 in a parliamentary vote.
Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country last week. Tthousands of protesters stormed the president's residence and other government buildings, demanding his resignation. They also called for the resignation of Wickremesinghe, who was appointed prime minister in May.
Sri Lanka is effectively bankrupt and has faced acute food and fuel shortages.
After his election, Wickremesinghe told parliament that the nation was in “a very difficult situation”, adding that the country “faces great challenges”.
He will try to bring political stability to Sri Lanka so that the country can resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a financial assistance package.
Wickremesinghe also called for political unity and cooperation of opposition parties with his government for the good of the country.
However, his election may provoke further unrest and mass protests. For the past two weeks, protesters have called for Wickremesinghe to resign because they see him as part of a “political elite” that has mismanaged the country's finances.
Wickremesinghe has been in Sri Lankan politics for 45 years. He defied calls from protesters to resign. Wickremesinghe took over as president after Rajapaksa fled, and his victory means he will be head of state until his term ends in November 2024.
< p>His opponent Alahapperum is a dissident lawmaker from the ruling party who has won the support of the main opposition. He promised to form a new cross-party government in Sri Lanka that would “put an end to the lying political culture”. However, he failed to win majority support.
Also read: Sri Lankan President fled the country on a military plane, now in the Maldives – BBC
Earlier Ranil Wickremesinghe speaking in Parliament declared that Sri Lanka is bankrupt.
The country is in the midst of its worst financial crisis in 70 years after its foreign exchange reserves fell to record lows and dollars ran out to pay for essential imported goods, including food, medicine and fuel. As a result, protests began. The former resident of the country, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, decided to ask the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, for help. beginning of June
