Protesters sombre after Wickremesinghe's win in Sri Lanka, but some vow to fight on

Demonstrators watch a public screen as voting begins to elect the new president at the parliament, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 20, 2022. REUTERS/ Dinuka Liyanawatte

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's imposing presidential secretariat which was stormed by a sea of protesters in early July, forcing out then incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was almost deserted on Wednesday as his replacement was voted in.

Parliament's selection of Ranil Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, as Sri Lanka's next president was a deep disappointment for many protesters at the secretariat and adjoining protest camp in the commercial capital Colombo, which has been the epicentre of nationwide demonstrations.