Six-time Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday defeated opposition leader Dallas Alahapperuma and leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the presidential election to succeed Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
A candidate needed to secure at least 113 votes to win the election. The Sri Lanka leader secured 134 votes in the 225-member House while his nearest rival Alahapperuma got 82. Dissanayake secured just three votes. After the results were announced, Alahapperuma said he accepted the decision of parliament.
"My effort was to support consensus-based policy-making to provide solutions to a deeply suffering population. I believe the space for that still exists and I will continue to work to strengthen that effort and work for the people. This is simply another milestone in my career. I hope that at least now you will cultivate the mentality to listen to the suffering masses," he added, as quoted by Reuters.