Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the opposition, has asked India to continue supporting the island nation regardless of who wins the important vote in Sri Lanka where the parliament will choose a new president.
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to step down last week as a result of months of street protests over the situation. The country’s economy was allegedly mismanaged by Mr. Rajapaksa and his family, many of whom served in his cabinet and contributed to this severe situation.
Dullas Alahapperuma, a former journalist and SLPP rebel who is supported by the opposition, would be his primary opponent in the election. In a statement last week, Alahapperuma promised to establish “an actual consensual government for the first time in our history.”
Alahapperuma won the presidential election after Premadasa withdrew. In a tweet, he stated that his party will back former media minister Dullas Alahapperuma “for the greater interest of my country that I love and the people I cherish.”
Ranil Wickremesinghe, a six-time former prime minister who took over as acting president after his predecessor resigned, is considered the front-runner in the three-way race, according to analysts. However, the protesters despise him because they view him as a Rajapaksa ally.
