Polling has opened in Sri Lanka on Saturday, September 21, for the post of president. This is the island nation’s first such election after its economic collapse in 2022.
As many as 38 candidates are in the fray in an election that will be keenly watched by India and China as Sri Lanka is of strategic importance to both the countries.
India, which has traditional ties with Sri Lanka, is concerned over China’s growing influence in the country.
Polling in Sri Lanka began at 7 am (local time) and will end at 4pm.
Counting of votes will begin soon after and the results are expected to be announced on September 22.
As many as 17 million people will cast their votes to elect their 10th President.
The key issues that have taken a precedence in these polls are mostly related to the economy.
Despite the high number of candidates, Sri Lanka’s elections have mostly come down to candidates in the past. For the first time, the country is seeing a three-way fight, with no clear front runner.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is seeking re-election, is facing stiff competition from two other political heavyweights, namely Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s (JVP) candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake who was leading opinion polls earlier this week and Sajith Premadasa who is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Leader of Opposition and president of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Who becomes the next President of Sri Lanka will be of importance to New Delhi as it is concerned about the influence of Beijing. India and China are competing for a toehold in Sri Lanka due to its strategic location for trade and military operations.