Sri Lanka To Elect Its New President in Next 7 Days

Following President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's formal resignation, the Sri Lankan Parliament will convene on Saturday and elect its next leader within seven days, according to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Two days after the embattled president departed the nation in the face of ferocious protests against his administration for mismanaging the economy and leading to the nation's bankruptcy, President Rajapaksa formally resigned.

Shortly after being granted entry into Singapore for a "private visit" by the city-state on Thursday, the 73-year-old leader sent the Speaker an email announcing his resignation.

After checking the legitimacy of the resignation letter that was forwarded to him, Speaker Abeywardena officially announced President Rajapaksa's resignation. According to the Constitution's provisions, the Parliament would convene on Saturday and elect a new president within seven days, according to Speaker Abeywardena in a statement.

According to the Constitution, the Speaker stated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe shall perform the responsibilities, authority, and functions of the office of the President up until the conclusion of the process for electing a new President. Thousands of demonstrators stormed Rajapaksa's official mansion on Saturday, accusing him of causing the extraordinary economic catastrophe that has brought the nation to its knees, and he declared that he will leave office on July 13.