The election commission announced that Sri Lanka’s first presidential elections since an unprecedented economic crisis will be held in September. This election will be the first test of the public mood since the height of the 2022 downturn, which caused months of food, fuel, and medicine shortages across the island nation. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75, who took office after his predecessor was forced to flee amid protests, is expected to run and is likely to face at least two rivals. The campaign will last five weeks and culminate with a vote on September 21. Economic issues are expected to dominate the campaign as the country emerges from its worst-ever recession in 2022. Inflation has returned to normal levels but Wickremesinghe’s austerity measures remain controversial.
Opposition parties have vowed to renegotiate the IMF bailout terms, while Wickremesinghe’s main challenger, Sajith Premadasa, has promised to continue with economic reforms but reduce tax increases. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a leftist party leader, is also campaigning against privatization of state companies. Wickremesinghe took office following the government default in 2022 after predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. Local elections were postponed last year due to lack of funds. More than 17 million eligible voters will participate in this year’s presidential poll, for which the election commission allocated $33 million.
