Sri Lanka’s parliament is set to chose a new President from among three contenders on Wednesday, as the nation hopes the new President will draw the island out of the worst economic straits and biggest political crisis since it gained its independence in 1948.
Experts warn however that if acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, is the winner, it could deepen the unrest and produce more demonstrations by a populace already furious with its leadership’s mishandling of the nation’s economy, as well as the crippling shortages of fuel, food and medicines that the mishandling has produced.
Duminda Nagamuwa, who organized protests in Colombo after the nominations were finalized said, “We are protesting again Ranil. He is a corrupted man. If Ranil comes (into power), we cannot have stability.”
Former journalist and ruling-party lawmaker Dullas Alahapperuma is considered more acceptable by both protestors and the opposition parties, however he is widely seen as not having enough executive governing experience in a country without any money, and in desperate need of a negotiated IMF bailout.
Meanwhile the third candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, is seen as having essentially no chance of winning, as his party commands only three seats in parliament.
Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, became the acting President after the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the country to Singapore after protestors seized his official residence and offices, and burned down his private home. In a statement this week, Rajapaksa claimed that by the time he came to office as prime minister in May, the economy had already collapsed.
Sri Lankans have blamed the Rajapaksas, the dominant force in politics, with seven family members in the government as of April, for the collapse. Their decisions to cut taxes, print money, and ban chemical fertilizers, which devastated the agricultural sector, destroyed the debt-laden economy which had already been reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is not immediately clear how the 225 seat parliament will vote, between the 73-year-old Wickremesinghe, who is perceived as an ally of the Rajapaksa’s, and 63-year-old Alahapperuma.
One section of the ruling party, which commands 145 seats, backs Wickremesinghe, however Alahapperuma is supported by the other section of the ruling party, as well as the main opposition party. In addition, some lawmakers have become independents, leaving the final outcome unclear.
Political scientist Jayadeva Uyangoda said, “Earlier Ranil Wickremesinghe was the front-runner but now the outcome is much more uncertain. The balance of parliament power has shifted away from him. The outcome is dependent on how much control the Rajapaksas have… over their party members.”
Once a candidate receives more than one third of the vote, he will be elected President. If none reach that mark, the lowest ranking candidate will be eliminated, and a new vote will be held.
A statement from the communication chief of parliament laying out the procedure said, “It will be marked as a new experience in the parliamentary history of this country.”
