Sri Lankan presidential election: Key vote determines the country's future

According to news on September 6, 2024, Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on September 21. This election is of crucial importance and will determine the direction of this South Asian country. The country is still trying to recover from the economic collapse in 2022. That collapse triggered massive protests, and former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee and resign.

This election is seen as a referendum on two years of presidency of Ranil Wickremesinghe. He faces severe challenges. There are 38 candidates running for the presidency, and nearly 17 million voters are eligible to vote.

The main candidates include Wickremesinghe running as an independent candidate. His United National Party has been weakened by splits. He implemented austerity measures in exchange for IMF bailout. Although it alleviated the shortage of some necessities, he is unpopular as an old force. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of "People's Power", has quickly become a major challenger. He is popular among young people and promises economic freedom and welfare measures and has no connection with past elites. Sajith Premadasa is also one of the challengers. He is the former deputy of the current president. He promises to continue implementing the IMF plan and adjust it to reduce the burden on the poor. He also has the support of Tamil political groups.

Nimal Rajapaksa, the heir of the Rajapaksa family, is also running. The family has produced two presidents. This candidacy will test the family's influence.

Voting will take place throughout the day on September 21, and the results will be announced in the evening of the next day. Voters can choose three candidates in order of preference. If no one gets more than 50% of the valid votes, the top two will continue to compete. At present, there is no reliable opinion poll showing who is in the lead, but Dissanayake's popularity is on the rise.

Sri Lanka's economy is the key issue. Under Wickremesinghe's leadership, important economic indicators have improved, but economic benefits have not reached ordinary people. Many people complain about high living costs and high taxes. His compe***s say they will renegotiate the IMF agreement to reduce the burden on the public. In addition, many people are dissatisfied that the government is accused of protecting the Rajapaksa family and think that the family should be held accountable.