Sri Lanka’s parliament will meet on Saturday to provoke the method of electing a brand new chief, its speaker introduced on Friday after formally accepting the resignation of exiled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“From this level, we’ll transfer to constitutionally appoint a brand new president,” speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena instructed reporters. “It’ll occur shortly and efficiently. I request everybody to help this course of.”

The elected president will serve out the rest of Mr Rajapaksa’s time period, which was set to finish in 2024. The speaker added that he hoped the method can be accomplished in seven days.