evidence: Colombo, Sri Lanka – Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected Sri Lanka’s new president, less than a week after his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee the country amid mass protests over the country’s crippling economic crisis. [...] "Ranil was elected president to protect the Rajapaksas," he said. [...] "This gave rise to the perception that Ranil [Wickremeshinghe] preferred Gotabaya over Sajith. If Sajith became president, Ranil would have to play second fiddle," Devapriya, from Factum, said.