COLOMBO, July 20 (Aljazeera) - Sri Lankan lawmakers have elected six-time Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as president, in a move expected to set off more protests in the crisis-hit country.

After a closely contested election Wickremesinghe has secured 134 while his main rival Dullas Alahapperuma secured 82 votes.

The third candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has only secured the three votes from his own party.