New President elected in Sri Lanka parliament – By Dr Harold Gunatillake

Harold-Gunethilake

Transcript:

The newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe thanking his contenders DullasAlahapperuma and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urged the MPs to work together in a new manner.

“The people are not asking us for old politics. I request Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and other opposition parties including former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena to work together,” Wickremesinghe said in a speech following the ballot.

“We were divided for the last 48 hours. That period is now over. We have to work together now,” he added.

The new President also requested the Speaker to take oaths as President within the Parliament premises.

This was the first time in the history of Sri Lanka that a vote took place in Parliament to elect a succeeding President, following the post being left vacant by Gotabaya Rajapaksa who resigned on the 14th of July 2022.

Although there was one previous experience of electing a president by parliament in Sri Lanka, this time is special.

When interviewed by Yohan Perera of Daily Mirror at the Gangarama temple, the Newly elected eighth President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday pledged to address the needs of those who are staging protests calling for a system change and to deal with those lawbreakers who cause destruction.

Mr. Wickremesinghe made this pledge whilst speaking to journalists after having engaged in religious observances at the Gangarama Temple in Colombo.

“We are ready to listen to those who stage peaceful protests, and to the silent majority. We are also ready to deal with the law with those who create destruction,” he said. “I also pledge to end confrontational politics and work with everyone in Parliament.

Those who protest and many others question as to why all political parties in Parliament cannot work together and bring a system change. We have to focus on these questions,” he added.

“Asked as to whether the Rajapaksas are his friends, Mr. Wickremesinghe said they are not. “Do you see any Rajapaksas here. I have worked with Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga. She belongs to one party and I to another. Just because I work with other political parties that does not mean they are my friends,” he said in this regard.

Fuel distribution from 21st July – Ministry COLOMBO (News 1st); A discussion was held on Tuesday (19) evening to plan to start fuel distribution from the 21st. As per the discussion fuel will be issued based on the last digit of the vehicle registration number; Over 500,000 Gas Cylinders distributed – Litro COLOMBO (News 1st); Litro says that around 500,000 gas cylinders have been distributed so far throughout the country.

The Chairman of Litro Muditha Peiris noted that it planned to distribute 60,000 gas cylinders to many areas outside of Colombo. However, long queues were seen leading to Gas Distribution Centers across the island.

IMF hopes to complete Sri Lanka aid talks ’as quickly as possible’: Kristalina

The International Monetary Fund hopes to complete rescue talks with Sri Lanka ’’as quickly as possible,’’ Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday, hours before the crisis-hit South Asian nation elected a new president.

The situation is getting worse, from crisis to another crisis.

I believe the ‘Aragalaya’ protest movement will go on until they collapse of starvation, and the democratically elected parliament will go on. Ballo burath, caravan passeth.

May the triple gem guard us all, and may all Gods blessings be with us. Hope this video presentation was useful to understand the present situation and the future.

Stay safe and goodbye for now

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