Sri Lanka Votes: Decisive Presidential Election Amid Economic Recovery

Millions of Sri Lankans are voting to elect a new president amid the country's fragile economic recovery. The election is a tight race between incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and Marxist challenger Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Over 13,000 polling stations have been set up, with results expected on Sunday.

Millions of Sri Lankans went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president who will shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing the nation's fragile economic recovery. Voters faced a tight race between the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and Marxist candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who recently surged in the polls.

In the capital Colombo, citizens lined up at polling stations guarded by security personnel as voting began at 7 a.m. local time. Reports indicated a peaceful voting process across the island, with polls closing at 4 p.m. and the counting of votes set to begin shortly thereafter. The Election Commission plans to announce the winner on Sunday.

With over 13,000 polling stations and 250,000 public officials managing the election, this is Sri Lanka's first major vote since its 2022 financial crisis, which left the country unable to import essentials. The subsequent IMF $2.9 billion bailout has stabilized the economy, but many voters remain impoverished and in debt, looking to their next leader for a hopeful future.

(With inputs from agencies.)