Sri Lanka economic crisis: Ex-cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya urges MPs to 'choose wisely' to replace prez
Sanath Jayasuriya
Ahead of the presidential elections in Sri Lanka, former cricketing legend Sanath Jayasuriya on Tuesday (July 19) urged the members of parliament to "choose wisely". The crisis-hit country will vote on Wednesday and choose a president to replace Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fledthe country as civilunrest intensified after economic crisis.
Taking to his official Twitter account, Jayasuriya wrote: "Tomorrow is a vital day. Tomorrow, 225 people decide the fate of 22 million. Choose wisely. Buddhusaranai, Godbless, Mashalla!"
Previously, Jayasuriya said he is both "angry" and "sad" to witness his country grapple with enormous financial crisis and civil unrest. He said, he is expecting that democracy will soon be restored in the Island nation.
ALSO READ |Three-way fight will decide who will be Sri Lanka's next president
Sri Lanka is facing an economic crisis and the people have suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation as the nation ran out of foreign currency to import vital goods.
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Rajapaksa fled abroad last week after his palace was stormed by hundreds of angry protestersdemandingthat he take responsibility for acute shortages of medicines, food and fuel.
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After the presidential vote, the winner of the three-way contest will take charge. Sri Lanka is currently in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Although, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is a six-time former prime minister, is said to be the frontrunner,he is despised by protesters who see him as a Rajapaksa ally.
The 73-year-old Wickremesinghe has the backing of the Rajapaksas' Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPP), which is the largest bloc in the 225-member parliament.
Wickremesinghe's main opponent will be SLPP dissident Dullas Alahapperuma, who isa former journalist being supported by the opposition.
Alahapperuma pledged this week to form "an actual consensual government for the first time in our history".
(With inputs from agencies)
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