Sri Lanka parliament to hold vote on July 20 for new president

Sri Lanka‘s parliament will hold a vote on July 20 to elect a new president, its speaker has said, to replace President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has promised to resign by Wednesday. The statement on Monday comes after protesters stormed the residences of the current president and prime minister, prompting both officials to go into hiding amid an economic meltdown. The process of electing a new president involves calling for nominations among members of the 225-seat parliament, which should be submitted on July 19. A vote would be held the following day, in keeping with a decision taken at a meeting of political leaders led by parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #SriLanka #SriLankaCrisis #GoHomeGota
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