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The Sri Lankan electorate has voted to sustain the changes that have taken place since the presidential election of January 8, when the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena scored a surprise victory over Mahinda Rajapaksa.

European bailout fund supervisors approved the release Wednesday evening.

“I also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the activists and the people’s representatives of our party who worked indefatigably in the election campaign”, he added.

Greek Prime Minister Alex Tsipras leaves his office in Athens.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka’s voters endorsed his government as parliamentary election results showed his party locked in a tight battle for power with allies of former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Interrupting their holidays for the second time this summer to cast ballots on a Greek rescue, lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house approved the rescue plan by 453 votes to 113.

Sri Lanka’s divisive ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa has conceded defeat in Monday’s parliamentary election.

In an announcement on national Greek television, seven months after taking office on the promise of rolling back austerity and staunchly opposed to additional bailouts from Europe, Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has resigned.

“I offer my grateful thanks to all parties and individuals who worked untiringly during the election period to ensure victory for the people“, Wickremesinghe said in a statement.

Incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe will be sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister today, returning to the office for a fourth term after his party won the closely contested general election.

He further extended his thanks to all the activists and people’s representatives who worked in the election campaign on behalf of the UPFA.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe urged Sri Lanka’s parties on Wednesday to work together as he began forming a new government backed by minority Tamils after a surge in support for his reform-driven agenda in parliamentary elections.

“I am conceding. We have lost a good fight”, said former Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Voters swung behind Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP), dashing ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapakse’s hopes of a comeback after his shock defeat in January’s presidential poll.

However, with only one of 22 districts having declared, the shape of the next parliament remains unclear and Rajapaksa’s comments to Reuters stopped short of an outright concession.