Presidential election in Sri Lanka 2024: Voting begins for presidential elections in Sri Lanka, debate on economy continues

Presidential election in Sri Lanka 2024 : Voting for the presidential election in Sri Lanka began on Saturday. This is the first election in Sri Lanka after the economic crisis of 2022. One crore 70 lakh people will exercise their franchise at more than 13,400 polling stations across the country. Voting started at seven in the morning and will continue till five in the evening. Economic reform has taken center stage in the presidential election, which marks a significant change from the past. The four main candidates are proposing a variety of populist policies aimed at overcoming economic difficulties.
A total of 38 candidates are in the fray in this election, which is a triangular contest between incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and key opposition MLA Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

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All three main candidates have promised economic reform and relief from hardship. They have pledged to pursue an ongoing International Monetary Fund program that is shaping the bankrupt country's policies to restructure its foreign debt with a diverse group of external lenders.

The election result is expected to be announced by Sunday. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe (75) is running as an independent candidate, banking on the success of his efforts to steer the country out of economic crisis.