Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been named as the Acting President of Sri Lanka. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa informed the Speaker of Parliament about the decision.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abywardena said in a special speech to the media today that the President has designated Ranil Wickremesinghe to represent him while he is out of the country.
According to Article 37 (01) of the Sri Lankan Constitution, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed as the Acting President, according to the Speaker.
Anti-government protestors are demanding that the President and Prime Minister resign in response to the current economic crisis, and demonstrations have started in a number of Colombo neighbourhoods on Wednesday.
After the protest on July 9th, the President notified the Speaker that he would be resigning on 13th July. .
Without informing about his resignation, the President and his family left early this morning for the Maldives.
In light of this, the Speaker has now declared that the President has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to serve in the President’s absence as Acting President.