President Ranil: How the historic parliamentary vote unfolded

Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe is due to take oaths as the 8th President of Sri Lanka in Parliament tomorrow morning (21). 

Earlier today, Mr Wickremesinghe was elected as the 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka by Parliament today (20) by a comfortable margin of 52 votes. 

Mr Wickremesinghe received 134 votes while his main challenger Dullas Alahapperuma, who had been fielded jointly by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and a faction of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), received 82 votes. National People's Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake received three votes. 

The vote took place in the background of the area surrounding Parliament being turned into a fortress due to heavy security. Police, Special Task Force, Army and Special Forces personnel had been stationed around the area surrounding Parliament. Armored cars had also been brought in while boats patroled the Diyawanna Oya. 

All 225 MPs including Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena were entitled to vote at the election. Of these, 223 MPs voted, with the two MPs from the Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC); namely Party Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and MP Selvarajah Kajendren choosing to abstain. Four of the total votes cast were found to be invalid. Accordingly, the President was elected by the count of 219 valid votes. 

Two SLPP MPs - Kurunegala District MP Samanpriya Herath and Digamadulla District MP D. Weerasinghe were both suffering from Dengue and were brought to Parliament by ambulance from hospital to cast their votes. They were brought into the chamber and both were allowed to vote before their scheduled turn after the House did not object to the requests made by Secretary General Dhammika Dasanayake, who acted as the Returning Officer. 

MP Harin Fernando observed the counting of votes on behalf of Mr Wickremesinghe while MP Dilan Perera functioned observed the counting on behalf of Mr Alahapperuma. MP Vijitha Herath functioned as the observer for Mr Dissanayake. 

When the results were announced, those in the government benches started thumping their desks, with some shouting "Jaya Wewa!" 

Addressing Parliament after being declared the victor, President-Elect Ranil Wickremesinghe said he was honored by the office that the House had conferred on him. He  noted that he had spent 45 years in Parliamentary politics. “This Parliament is my life,” he said.

He said everyone present knows just how dire the country’s economic situation is. “The people don’t want the usual brand of politics. This is why we must all work together to find solutions to our problems."

The President-Elect called for unity, saying the House should no longer be divided and asked candidates Premadasa and Dissanayake, as well as Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and other party leaders to work with him. 

“Our aim was to build this country’s first practical consensus government. Whatever the result today, our effort is yet another inspiration to the world as one of South Asia’s oldest democracies,” defeated Presidential candidate Dullas Alahapperuma said in his address. 

Mr Alahapperuma thanked all those who voted for him, saying various parties got together to pledge their support to him irrespective of racial, religious or political differences.

NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said he had no doubt of the outcome that would befall him when he forward his candidature for the presidency.

Mr Dissanayake pointed out that given the number of political parties that pledged their support to Dullas Alahapperuma in the days prior to the vote, he would have easily won if all MPs in those parties had voted for him.

“We have a long history in this Parliament of MPs being sold to that side or other at decisive moments in history. I believe this is a similar situation. Others can disagree with me but that is my view,” he said to shouts of protest and jeers from the Government benches.

The reality is that a large number of MPs from the opposition had also voted to make Ranil Wickremesinghe the President, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said. 

Mr Gunawardena, a classmate and friend of Mr Wickremesinghe for 70 years, said while their political views may be different, "humanity is the same for everyone."

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called on the new President to immediately present an action plan that all parties can get behind to solve the issues faced by the people. 

“There needs to be targets and timelines attached to it, for though the constitutional process played out here today, the situation on the ground is extremely tragic," he pointed out.