Sri Lankan lawmakers met Saturday to begin choosing a new leader to serve the rest of the term abandoned by the president who fled abroad and resigned after mass protests over the country’s economic collapse.

National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that he will contest for the Presidency as the candidate of the National People’s Power.

Sri Lanka’s opposition leader, who is seeking the presidency next week, vowed Friday to “listen to the people” who are struggling through the island nation’s worst economic crisis and to hold accountable the president who fled under pressure from protesters.

The National Fuel Pass has been introduced in Sri Lanka today (July 16) by the Power and Energy Ministry of Sri Lanka.

The Secretary General of Parliament of Sri Lanka officially announced in the House this morning (July 16) that the office of President of Sri Lanka has fallen vacant.

Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says that he will contest for the Presidency.

Sri Lanka is continuing negotiations with China for as much as US$ 4 billion in aid and is confident Beijing will agree “at some point,” Bloomberg News reported on Friday (Jul 15), citing Sri Lanka’s ambassador to China.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today (July 15) issued an order barring Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa from leaving the country until the 28th of July.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has decided to support Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the parliamentary vote on July 20, which will elect a new President.

The Governor of Sri Lanka’s Central Bank, Nandalal Weerasinghe, has warned that the country may shut down if no stable government is formed soon.

Parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma says he will contest for the Presidency when nominations are called next week in Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, delivering a special statement, said that he would not allow any action that is in violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Acting President before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya a short while ago.

Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has detailed the procedure for the election of a President when the office is vacant.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has officially resigned as the President of Sri Lanka, Speaker of Parliament announced this morning (July 15).

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasises that an interim government should be formed for essential basic work and an election should be held in a very short time.