Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Might Be The Next President

Mr.Sajith Premadasa , Sri Lanka's chief opposition leader, has stated to the media that he plans to run for president once Gotabaya Rajapaksa is gone. This is after the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party (SJB), held talks to gain support for the move.

Sri Lanka is currently facing an unprecedented economic crisis that has seen thousands of people flocked to the streets in March. The country is short of money and cannot import essential items such as food, fuel, and medicine.

President Rajapaksa has announced his intention to resign. The speaker of Parliament said that lawmakers would choose the next president on the 20th of July. According to Mr. Premadasa, his party and friends agreed that he should "put my nomination for presidency if there is a vacancy".

He lost the 2019 presidential election and would need to be supported by the MPs of the governing alliance in order to win. Due to popular discontent against Mr. Rajapaksa, his family, and who have dominated Sri Lankan political affairs for more than 20 years, he is hoping to get it.

Inflation in the country reached 55% in June. Millions of people struggle to make ends meet. Mr. Premadasa stated that he is open to participating in an all-party interim administration.

The SJB leader was criticized for refusing the position of Prime Minister when offered to him in April. He was replaced by Ranil Wickremesinghe , but he has indicated that he will resign in order to allow for a unity government.

Mr Premadasa called the current situation in Sri Lanka "confused, uncertain and total anarchy", and said it needed "consensus and consultation, compromise, and coming togetherness".

According to local media reports, the country's reserves of usable resources have fallen to $250m (PS210m). Public transport has been severely affected by a crippling fuel shortage. Power plants are experiencing power outages due to a lack of fuel. Due to the fuel crisis, schools are also closed for this week. Many are trying to flee the country.

Mr Premadasa conceded that there is no quick fix. He said that it would take between four and five years to bring the economy back to its 2019 level. His party also stated that they had an economic plan to get out of the crisis.