Members of Parliament will elect an Interim President for the remainder of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term by secret ballot on July 20, it was announced on Friday.
Parliament met on Saturday to discuss the modalities for the peaceful and orderly transfer of power.
This follows the resignation of Rajapaksa, which was officially conveyed to the nation by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Friday morning.
Speaker Abeywardena said that he had received the letter of resignation sent by Gotabaya Rajapaksa (from Singapore) in terms of Article 38.1 (b) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the President has officially resigned from his position on July 14, 2022. The Speaker said the Constitutional process of electing a new President will be executed henceforth. The incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will act in accordance with the Constitution to exercise and perform the powers, functions and duties of the President until the completion of the said process. Wickremesinghe took oaths as acting President on Friday.
This is the first time in Sri Lanka’s political history that an Executive President had resigned before the end of his term and an acting President was appointed. Previously, President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated midway through his term and D.B. Wijetunga was then appointed President for the remainder of Premadasa’s term.
Incidentally, that was the first occasion that Wickremesinghe ascended to the office of Prime Minister, taking oaths on May 7, 1993. He subsequently became Premier five more times. The Presidency has eluded him until now, though he did not contest a Presidential election after 2005 when he lost by a narrow margin to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Speaker said the election of the new President will be carried out in accordance with the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act, No. 2 of 1981 in accordance with Article 40 of the Constitution.
“It is my intention to successfully complete this process as soon as possible. As our nation is known for its pride of being the oldest democratic country in South Asia, the execution of this process within a maximum democratic framework and transparency will be an important historical event not only in our country but also in the political history of the world,” he said.
The Speaker called upon all Party Leaders, Government officials and security personnel to extend their maximum support towards this process of democratic action. “In particular, we request the respected and beloved public of our country to create a suitable and peaceful atmosphere for all MPs to act freely according to their conscience and participate in the Parliamentary meetings to implement the proper democratic Parliamentary system.”
He said: “I hope to complete this process within a short period of seven days with the cooperation of all the responsible parties in a peaceful atmosphere. Therefore, I am hereby informing that the Parliament will convene on Saturday (July 16) requesting the attendance of all Members.”
A full House was expected for yesterday’s sittings and the July 20 vote. Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said the vacancy in the country’s Presidency would be announced in Parliament on Saturday, July 16.
The Secretary General has informed all Members of Parliament according to the Constitution and Section 4 of the Election of the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act No. 2 of 1981, Parliament was scheduled to meet on Saturday, July 16 at 10.00 am.
According to Section 4 of the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act No. 2 of 1981, Parliament should be convened within three days after the vacancy occurs. Thus, the Secretary General announced yesterday a vacancy in the office of the President according to Section 5 of the said Act.
Meanwhile, at the Party Leaders and the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held on Friday at 10.00 a.m., the Speaker said that the new President will be elected by Parliament on July 20 as previously decided on by the Party Leaders.
The Speaker said that nominations will be called on Tuesday, July 19 and subsequently, a Member of Parliament will be elected for the Presidency after the election is held in Parliament on July 20. The Speaker said that he expects the support of all parties to carry out this process quickly without any hindrance within the democratic framework.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna won the Presidential election in November 2019 with over 6.9 million votes, beating his rival Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (5.5 million votes) by a considerable margin. Rajapaksa, a former military officer who was Defence Secretary during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2005-2014 tenure was expected to take Sri Lanka in a new direction being a non-politician with a reputation for efficiency and administrative finesse.
He initiated a successful vaccination drive during the Covid pandemic, though the lockdowns that had to be imposed led to a serious economic downturn and a decline of inbound tourism. Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves dwindled rapidly in the face of this economic crisis and Rajapaksa’s decision to go for organic farming overnight devastated the farming community. Discontent against his rule spread from the farming community to other sectors as acute shortages of essentials ensued due to the lack of foreign exchange. Mass protests erupted against the President and the Government at the end of March, with protestors calling for his ouster occupying the Galle Face Green.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned following the countrywide violence on May 9 and all other Rajapaksas in the Cabinet also resigned. Former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa resigned from his Parliamentary Seat on June 9. Protestors then called for a mass agitation campaign in Colombo on July 9 to force the ouster of President Rajapaksa.
Tens of thousands of people from all corners of the island converged in Colombo and stormed the Presidential Secretariat, President’s House and Temple Trees despite the efforts of Police and Security Forces to control them. They later breached the Prime Minister’s Flower Road office and acting President Wickremesinghe’s private house was torched.
The very same night, Rajapaksa conveyed to the Speaker that he intended to resign and he later left for Singapore, from where he sent the letter of resignation, ending the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration after 32 months.