A special gazette was published today (July 20), officially declaring the election of Ranil Wickremesinghe to the office of President.

The communiqué was issued by Secretary-General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake, pursuant to Section 17 of the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act, No. 2 of 1981.

Earlier today, Sri Lanka’s 225-member parliament voted Wickremesinghe in as the 8th Executive President of the country.

Accordingly, at the election which was held today in Parliament, Ranil Wickramasinghe received 134 votes whereas Dullas Alahapperuma received 82 votes. Anura Dissanayaka received 03 votes. 

To be elected for the office of succeeding president, a candidate should get 50% or more votes from the valid number of votes. Ranil Wickremesinghe had achieved the requisite number of votes. Accordingly, the number of valid votes were 219 out of which Ranil Wickremesinghe had obtained 134 votes.

The number of votes cast were 223 and two Parliamentarians abstained from voting. 4 votes were designated as invalid votes. 

Accordingly, the Secretary General of Parliament, Mr. Dhammika Dasanayake announced to the House that Ranil Wickremesinghe is to be elected as the Eighth Executive President. 

Also, according to the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act (No. 2 of 1981), the relevant gazette notification is to be published within 3 days.

Wickremesinghe is thus qualified to hold the office of the President for the remaining term of the presidency, which was left vacant with the resignation of the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

President-elect Wickremesinghe is slated to take oaths at the parliament complex tomorrow morning (July 21).

Wickremesinghe became caretaker president last week after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on a military plane to the Maldives and then took a commercial flight to Singapore.

The 73-year-old has held the office of prime minister six times although he never completed a term. His latest and shortest term in office as the prime minister was when former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed him to the position on July 13 this year, after his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to step down amidst growing public agitation over economic mismanagement and corruption allegations.