Ranil Wickremesinghe, a lawyer who served as Sri Lanka's prime minister for a record six times, has made it to the top job, securing the presidency after winning a parliamentary vote on Wednesday despite fierce public opposition to his candidacy.
"I thank the parliament for this honor," the 73-year-old said after his victory was announced by the secretary-general of the legislature. He secured 134 votes in the 225-member house, while his main rival, ruling party lawmaker Dullas Alahapperuma, got 82.
Wickremesinghe has ran unsuccessfully for president twice before but secured enough votes among lawmakers despite controlling just one seat – as leader of the United National Party (UNP).
His experience in senior government positions and reputation as a shrewd operator should count in his favor as he seeks a way out of Sri Lanka's devastating economic crisis.
"Our country is facing massive challenges and we have to work on a new strategy to fulfill the aspirations of the people," he said after winning the vote in parliament.
Then interim President Ranil Wickremesinghe (R) greets Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya during the oath-taking ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 15, 2022. /CFP
Wickremesinghe has also recently negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and enjoys a working relationship with key donor countries including India.
However, it remains to be seen if he can quell mass protests that led to the ouster of the previous president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets earlier this month to vent their fury at soaring inflation, shortages of fuel and other vital goods, regular power blackouts and what they see as corruption among the ruling elite.
While the focus of their ire was Rajapaksa, a member of the country's most powerful political dynasty before the crisis who fled the country for Singapore, they also demanded that Wickremesinghe stand down - something he refused to do.
Wickremesinghe's victory in parliament came after he secured the backing of many within the main party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, that is dominated by the Rajapaksa family.
He took over as prime minister in May after the former president's elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, quit from the position following clashes between pro and anti-government protesters that triggered a deadly wave of violence.
Since then, Wickremesinghe has been involved in negotiations with the IMF for a potential bailout package of up to $3 billion, besides working on an interim budget to slash government expenditure.
As president, he is to complete Rajapaksa's term that was scheduled to end in 2024.