Nominations for Sri Lankan presidential race announced in parliament

COLOMBO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Dullas Alahapperuma, and National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were nominated for the post of president in parliament on Tuesday.

Members of parliament will meet on Wednesday morning and elect a new president for Sri Lanka.

Earlier on Tuesday, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who had earlier expressed his desire to contest for the post of president, announced that he would withdraw his presidential nomination.

He said his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will support Alahapperuma in the vote for the next president of Sri Lanka.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from the post of president last week following massive protests.

Following his resignation, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that Wickremesinghe, who was the prime minister then, was appointed acting president, and parliamentarians will have the chance to vote for the new president on July 20.