Sri Lankan Parliament to elect new president on July 20

Sri Lanka's parliament will elect a new president on July 20, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has said Parliament will reconvene on Friday and will vote to elect a new president five days later, Abeywardena said in a statement. "During the party leaders' meeting held on Monday it was agreed that this was essential to ensure a new all-party government is in place in accordance with the Constitution," the statement added. "The ruling party has said the prime minister and the Cabinet are ready to resign to appoint an all-party government.”

Meanwhile, leaders of the protest movement have said crowds will occupy the residences of the president and prime minister in Colombo until they finally quit office."We are not going anywhere till this president leaves and we have a government that is acceptable to the people," protester Jude Hansana said. Sri Lanka’s embattled president was flown to an airbase near the main international airport on Monday, officials said, raising speculation he will escape into exile abroad. Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the presidential palace in Colombo under naval protection on Saturday. The 73-year-old leader was brought to the Katunayake airbase adjoining the country’s main international airport.