Sri Lankan Parliament Selects Unpopular PM as President

Sri Lankan lawmakers elected Ranil Wickremesinghe, the unpopular prime minister and acting¹ president, as the country's new leader Wednesday.

Members of the ruling party hope his government experience will help the country out of the economic and political crisis it is facing. But there is also a risk that the decision will lead to more unrest in the South Asian country.

For months, Sri Lankan protesters have demanded the ouster of the country's top two political leaders. Last week, demonstrators occupied homes, offices and government buildings.

The uprising forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign. The prime minister, Wickremesinghe, became acting president. On Monday, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency giving him the power to restore public security and order.

The six-time prime minister received 134 votes in the 225-member parliament. But, given his unpopularity, only a few lawmakers had publicly said they would vote for Wickremesinghe.

Wednesday's vote means Wickremesinghe will finish the presidential term ending in 2024. He will be sworn in on Thursday.

"I need not tell you what state our country is in," Wickremesinghe told lawmakers after his victory was announced. "People are not expecting the old politics from us, they expect us to work together." The 73-year-old leader added, "Now that the election is over, we have to end this division."

After the vote, some supporters celebrated² Wickremesinghe's win in the streets. But protesters gathered at the presidential home, calling "Ranil, go home." Visaka Jayawware, a protester, told the Associated Press, "We will keep fighting for the people of Sri Lanka. We have to ask for a general election."

Much of the protesters' anger was directed at Rajapaksa and his family who ruled the country for almost 20 years. But many also blamed Wickremesinghe for protecting Rajapaksa. Last week, a crowd occupied his office and set his home on fire.

Economists³ say the crisis in Sri Lanka comes from years of poor leadership and corruption⁴. They also say it comes from other troubles, such as growing debt, the effects of the pandemic, and terror attacks that hurt the tourism industry. The country also has $51 billion in foreign debts that it cannot repay.

Before Wednesday's vote, Wickremesinghe said the economy had already collapsed⁵ by the time he joined the Rajapaksa government in May.

As prime minister, Wickremesinghe has been working with the International Monetary⁶ Fund (IMF) and countries to look for help. He said Monday that negotiations⁷ with the IMF were nearing a conclusion, while talks on help from other countries had also progressed. He also said that the government has taken measures to solve shortages of fuel and cooking gas.

"People deserve fuel, transportation, we deserve anything citizens need," Kasumi Ranasinghe Arachchige, a 26-year-old protester, told Reuters. "Until we see no one in Sri Lanka is struggling, the protest continues."

 

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1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

6 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

7 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。