The presidential election in Sri Lanka has come to a close as the nation works to recover from political unrest and economic hardship that resulted in widespread demonstrations and the expulsion of the previous president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
A lot of people saw this Saturday’s election as a referendum on his successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has brought some stability back with IMF-backed austerity measures.
The measures, including tax hikes, have left millions struggling to make ends meet and are unpopular with many voters.
Turnout was at nearly 70 percent an hour before polling stations closed at 4pm (10:30 GMT), an election commission official said, citing provisional figures, the AFP news agency reported.The record for voter turnout in a Sri Lankan presidential election was set in 2019 at 83.72 percent.
“I’ve taken this country out of bankruptcy,” Wickremesinghe said after casting his ballot.
“I will now deliver Sri Lanka a developed economy, developed social system and developed political system,” said the 75-year-old veteran politician who has been prime minister multiple times.
Choose if you want to advance or return to the terrifying time. Support for Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has increased as a result of the economic crisis. Less than 4% of the vote was cast for the party in the most recent legislative elections, despite having led two failed uprisings in the 1970s and 1980s that claimed over 80,000 lives.
However, the situation in Sri Lanka has presented a chance for the 55-year-old Dissanayaka, who has witnessed an increase in support due to his promise to reform the island’s “corrupt” political system.