The voting results were announced by Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeiwardena.
“Wikremesinghe was elected to the presidency with a total of 134 votes and MP Dullas Alahapperuma came in second with 82 votes. Meanwhile MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake got 3 votes”, - Sri Lankan newspaper Adaderana reported.
Wickramasinghe was appointed Prime Minister on 12 May 2022. Prior to that, he served as head of government of Sri Lanka four times: in 1993-1994, 2001-2004, 2015-2018, 2018-2019.
The reason for the snap election of the head of state was the resignation of President Gotabay Rajapaksa after mass protests. The riots are caused by a deep economic crisis and a shortage of essential goods. The protesters seized the residence of the President and the Prime Minister. Rajapaksa himself fled the country. On July 18, the interim president declared a state of emergency in Sri Lanka. Wikramasinghe is considered one of Rajapaksa's close associates, and his election to the presidency may result in new protests.