Two years after suffering its worst-ever economic crisis, Sri Lankans will vote for a new President in a tightly contested election on Saturday (September 21) that will determine the fate of the fragile economy. WION decode's Sri Lanka's story so far.

Sri Lanka Presidential Election: Decoding Sri Lanka's story so far since worst-ever economic crisis

Sri Lanka and creditors have reached an agreement in principle to restructure around $12.6 billion in bonds. This announcement comes just before Sri Lanka's elections, which have caused investors to be nervous.

Sri Lanka reaches restructuring deal days before election

As Sri Lanka prepares for its presidential election on September 21, the economy is at the forefront of voters' concerns following the nation’s severe economic crisis a few years back. This next report talks about the challenges ahead for the new government and what impact it could have on the citizens of the island nation.

What Sri Lanka's elections mean for its economy

Sri Lanka is all set to go to polls on the 21st of September. The countdown to Sri Lanka's presidential election has begun, with 17 million voters set to decide the country's next leader. As the nation prepares for this crucial vote, the election promises to be a turning point for Sri Lanka's future. Watch to know more.

Sri Lanka Polls: Youth raise concerns on unemployment, corruption & cost of living

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president on Saturday (Sep 21) in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president on Saturday (Sep 21) in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis. Officials in Colombo were seen escorted by armed personnel as they collected boxes to set up polling booths on Friday on the eve of the tightly contested election. About 17 million of Sri Lanka's 22 million people are eligible to vote in the first election since protests against the economic hardships in 2022 forced then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and later resign. Sri Lanka's first-past-the-post system allows voters to cast three preferential votes for their chosen candidates, with the candidate securing 50 per cent of the votes or more declared winner. Whoever wins the election will have to ensure Sri Lanka gets its public finances in order, start repaying foreign creditors, attract investment and complete the four-year IMF programme. President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged voters to give him a fresh mandate to continue with austerity measures he says stabilised the economy and ended months of food, fuel and medicine shortages. He has restored calm to the streets after civil unrest spurred by the downturn in 2022 saw thousands storm the compound of his predecessor, who promptly fled the country. "Decide if you want to go back to the period of terror, or progress", Wickremesinghe said. But Wickremesinghe's tax hikes and other belt-tightening measures, imposed in line with a $2.9-billion IMF bailout, have left millions struggling. Experts warn that Sri Lanka's economy is still vulnerable, with payments on the island's $46-billion foreign debt yet to resume since a 2022 government default. "The election will largely be a referendum on how Wickremesinghe's government has handled the economic crisis and the ensuing modest recovery," the International Crisis Group said this week. It added that many citizens were suffering "enormous hardship at the same time as Colombo cuts costs and takes other austerity measures perceived by the public as unfair". As election rallies ended on Wednesday night after a 56-day campaign period, the country entered a "cooling off period" of two days ahead of Saturday's vote. Some 17.1 million people are eligible to vote. Over 200,000 officials have been deployed to conduct the election which will be guarded by 63,000 police. Results are expected by Sunday. Police spokesman Nihal Talduwa told reporters in Colombo that the campaign had been relatively peaceful with 464 polls-related complaints, but no serious crimes. Watch | Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: WION reports from the ground ahead of September 21 polls × Rising red star Sri Lanka's crisis has proven an opportunity for the 55-year-old Dissanayaka, who has seen a surge of support based on his pledge to change the island's "corrupt" political culture. "The 21st (voting day) will be the beginning of a long journey to completely change the system of governance in Sri Lanka," Dissanayaka told his rally decorated with red flags at a suburb of Colombo. Analysts say he is likely to benefit from public anger over graft scandals and the chronic economic mismanagement that precipitated the unprecedented economic crisis. "There is a significant number of voters trying to send a strong message... that they are very disappointed with the way this country has been governed," Murtaza Jafferjee of think tank Advocata told AFP. Fellow opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, once dismissed as the princeling dynast of a former president assassinated in 1993 during the country's decades-long civil war, is also favoured to make a strong showing. He vowed to ensure transparency in state procurements and fight endemic corruption. The 57-year-old, a former ally and deputy of Wickremesinghe until he renounced his former leader in 2020, has campaigned on a pledge to secure concessions from the IMF. "We will revise the unfair burden-sharing structure of the IMF-supported tax code revision that is forcing professionals to seek employment abroad," Premadasa said in his manifesto. Official data showed that Sri Lanka's poverty rate doubled to 25 per cent between 2021 and 2022, adding 2.5 million people to those already living on less than $3.65 a day. The IMF said reforms were beginning to pay off, with inflation below five per cent from a peak of 70 per cent at the height of the crisis, and growth slowly returning. "A lot of progress has been made, but the country is not out of the woods yet," the IMF's Julie Kozack told reporters in Washington last week. "It is important to safeguard those hard-won gains." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sri Lanka goes to polls for first time since 2022 economic crisis

The countdown to Sri Lanka's presidential election has begun, with 17 million voters set to decide the country's next leader. As the nation prepares for this crucial vote, the election promises to be a turning point for Sri Lanka's future. Stay tuned for key updates and insights into the candidates, policies, and potential outcomes. Watch in for more details!

Sri Lanka Presidential Elections | All You Need To Know: Key Issues, Candidates and Voting Process

Two years after suffering its worst-ever economic crisis, Sri Lankans will vote for a new President in a tightly contested election on Saturday (September 21) that will determine the fate of the fragile economy.

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Sri Lanka Polls | Inflation, Unemployment, Tax Reforms: Top Issues For Voters

Sri Lanka and creditors have reached an agreement in principle to restructure around $12.6 billion in bonds. This announcement comes just before Sri Lanka's elections, which have caused investors to be nervous. Watch in for more details!

Sri Lanka Restructures Debt Deal: New Agreement Introduces Bonds with 'Governance-Linked Features'

Sri Lanka is all set to go to polls on the 21st of September, with just two days to go candidates are putting their best foot forward. The countdown to Sri Lanka's presidential election has begun, with 17 million voters set to decide the country's next leader. As the nation prepares for this crucial vote, the election promises to be a turning point for Sri Lanka's future. Watch to know more.

Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: Top Candidates In The Fray

Crisis-hit Sri Lankan voters, struggling with higher prices, especially for food, are looking at this weekend's election, pinning hopes for economic relief to come with the new president. WION brings you a ground report.

Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: WION reports from the ground ahead of September 21 polls

Sri Lanka is all set to go to polls on the 21st of September, with just three days to go candidates are putting their best foot forward. This will be a crucial election for Sri Lanka. Watch to know more.

Sri Lanka Elections: Here is all you need to know about the Sri Lanka Elections

Crisis-hit Sri Lankan voters, struggling with higher prices, especially for food, are looking at this weekend's election, pinning hopes for economic relief to come with the new president.

Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: Lingering Economic Crisis a Key Concern

The countdown to Sri Lanka's presidential election has begun, with 17 million voters set to decide the country's next leader. As the nation prepares for this crucial vote, the election promises to be a turning point for Sri Lanka's future. The Election Commission has urged parties to adhere to election rules. Stay tuned for key updates and insights into the candidates, policies, and potential outcomes. Watch in for more details!

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Sri Lanka Elections: First Presidential polls since 2022 Economic crisis

The countdown to Sri Lanka's presidential election has begun, with 17 million voters set to decide the country's next leader. As the nation prepares for this crucial vote, the election promises to be a turning point for Sri Lanka's future. Stay tuned for key updates and insights into the candidates, policies, and potential outcomes.

All you need to know about Sri Lanka's Presidential Polls: Candidates, key issues and voting process

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Sri Lanka Election Countdown Begins: 17 Million Voters To Decide Next President

Sri Lanka Elections: Crucial election for Sri Lanka

Media reports show that the Sri Lankan party has promised that if it wins the next presidential election, it will halt the Adani group's wind power project in the country. According to reports, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party said the Adani project was a direct challenge to the sovereignty of the island nation's energy sector. The Adani group was to invest over 440 million dollars into the 20-year deal to develop 484 megawatts of wind power.

Sri Lanka's JVP party vows to cancel Adani deal

The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has pledged to cancel the Adani Group's wind power project in Sri Lanka if they win the upcoming presidential election. This statement was made on Monday as part of their campaign leading up to the election scheduled for this weekend.

Sri Lanka's JVP Party vows to cancel Adani deal

Sri Lanka's election on September 21st is being viewed as a referendum on the economic reforms just ahead of the first poll since the country's economic meltdown in 2022. Opposition leader and Presidential candidate Premadasa has warned that he will heavily tax the rich if he wins in the upcoming contest. Watch in for more details!

Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: Premadasa slams Wickremesinghe's economic crisis

With just over a week until Sri Lanka's crucial Presidential election internal divisions have emerged within the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi party. Watch in for more details!

Sri Lanka Presidential Elections: Rift in ITAK over which candidate to back

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