Ranil Wickremesinghe elected by Parliament as new president of Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: After the parliament cast their votes, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the acting President, was elected as Sri Lanka's new President on Wednesday.

The six-time former prime minister had the votes of 134 members out of the 225-member House while ruling party dissident leader Dullas Alahapperuma got 82.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader was able to secure only three votes.

The results of the election was announced by the speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

After the results were announced, Wickremesinghe thanked the Parliament for upholding democratic practices and asked for the support of both presidential rivals as well as former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena.

He also invited the Tamil leaders to join him.

"Now that the election is over we have to end this division… From now on I am ready to have a dialogue with you," he said.

He said the country was in a perilous state and the youth clamours for a change.

Wickremesinghe, who is leading the important discussions with the International Monetary Fund, had said last week that the talks were nearing the final stage and talks with foreign countries were also progressing.

The new president will serve the rest of Rajapaksa's term, which ends in November 2024.

With PTI inputs