Sri Lanka's High-Stakes Presidential Election: A Nation Votes for Future Leadership Amid Economic Recovery

Voting for Sri Lanka's pivotal presidential elections concluded with over 60% turnout by 2 pm. The results are expected by midnight. The election, featuring 38 candidates, is a critical test for incumbent President Wickremesinghe, who aims to secure a new term following the nation’s economic recovery from its 2022 meltdown.

In a significant move for the island nation, voting for Sri Lanka's critical presidential elections concluded on Saturday at 4 pm. This election marks the first since the country's severe economic crisis in 2022, attracting much attention.

Reports from officials indicate that more than 60% of the 17 million eligible voters had cast their ballots by 2 pm. Colombo City Deputy Election Commissioner MKSKK Bandaramapa mentioned that postal vote counting would start at 4 pm, followed by regular vote counting at 6 pm. The initial results are anticipated to be released by midnight.

Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeks re-election as an independent candidate, leveraging his efforts in steering the country towards economic recovery. Widely seen as the most contested presidential election since 1982, voters cast their ballots at over 13,400 polling stations, supervised by 200,000 officials and 63,000 police personnel. The Police Elections Bureau confirmed that the voting process remained peaceful, devoid of any incidents of violence.

(With inputs from agencies.)