Sri Lankans Vote for New President Amid Economic Recovery Efforts

Sri Lanka held its first presidential election since the 2022 economic crisis, with voting conducted peacefully across 22 districts. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe is seeking re-election as an independent, promising economic recovery. Turnout was lower than previous elections, and a curfew was imposed post-voting.

Sri Lankans cast their votes in the first presidential election since the 2022 economic crisis, with the process unfolding peacefully across 22 electoral districts. The country's 13,400 polling stations saw steady activity as voters chose from among 38 candidates, though no women were in the running for the top office.

Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeks re-election as an independent, citing his role in stabilising the economy after the nation declared a sovereign default and faced civil unrest in 2022. Despite lower voter turnout compared to previous elections, the polling day concluded without incidents of violence or security breaches.

A curfew was imposed from 10 pm to 6 am to prevent post-election disturbances as counting began immediately after polls closed. Observers noted low turnout in the northern district of Jaffna, attributed to a Tamil minority group's boycott call. Nearly 8,000 local and international observers monitored the election.

(With inputs from agencies.)