COLOMBO, July 20 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the country’s next president until 2024, a parliament vote count showed on Wednesday. Mr. Wickremesinghe polled 134 votes as opposed to 82 votes for his main opponent Dullas Alahapperuma, official results showed.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday began voting to elect the successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a three-way presidential contest, following a high-voltage political drama which saw the former President fleeing the country and resigning after a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy.