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Ranil Wickremesinghe elected president in crisis-hit Sri Lanka after ousted leader flees country

01:00

Ranil Wickremesinghe elected president in crisis-hit Sri Lanka after ousted leader flees country

Sri Lankan legislators have chosen six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president to succeed the ousted leader who fled the country, in a vote that risks reigniting political turmoil in the troubled South Asian island nation.

Mr Wickremesinghe said he has spent 45 years of his life in parliament and is happy it has given him the honour of becoming president.

His predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned from the role earlier this month after fleeing to Singapore.

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