Sri Lanka, which is slowly recovering from its worst economic crisis, will vote on Saturday to elect its next president. The cash-strapped island nation is currently led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is seeking re-election to continue bold reforms to help revive the economy.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75, is seeking a new mandate after taking credit for stabilising the economy and ending months of food, fuel and medicine shortages.
When Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as President in 2022, Sri Lanka was grappling with civil unrest due to the economic crisis. Protests broke out across the country, leading to thousands of people storming the Presidential Palace, which was then occupied by Mr. Wickremesinghe’s predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had fled the country. Mr. Wickremesinghe took charge and restored peace and helped revive the economy by taking some tough decisions.
The 2024 elections are crucial to decide the future of reforms in the economically weak nation.
Speaking to NDTV, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said his vision for future relations with India is based on strong economic ties. “We want to encourage more investment from India and more tourists from India. We are working closely with India on infrastructure projects such as the Trincomalee Harbour,” he said.
The President said, “I took over as President at a time when there was utter chaos in the country and nobody thought we would be able to bring stability so quickly. But I knew from my experience that we could move forward, provided we had the support of the International Monetary Fund and our lenders.” He further said, “I have ensured that we are back to normality. Law and order is working, democracy is working and though we have stabilised the economy, now we have to decide our path. Are we going to go back to the same old ways or are we working towards (building) a strong export economy? I have asked for a mandate to move forward.”
However, Mr Wickremesinghe faces a tough electoral battle from two contenders. Overall, President Wickremesinghe is one of 38 candidates contesting in Sri Lanka’s presidential election.
This year’s election is dominated by the two major coalitions, the SJB (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) and the NPP (National People’s Power), as well as various smaller parties and independent candidates.
Here is a list of the 5 main contenders in the 2024 Sri Lanka elections:
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75, a lawyer who has been prime minister for a record six times, has only one seat in parliament and will have to garner support from major parties to boost his chances.
As leader of the United National Party, or UNP, he took office in July 2022 after massive protests sparked by a debilitating financial crisis forced his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee Sri Lanka and later resign.
The Sri Lankan Parliament elected Ranil Wickremesinghe to serve the remaining five-year term of Mr Rajapaksa, who took office in 2019.
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s bid for re-election does not have the formal backing of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the party with the most seats in the 225-member parliament, but the support of more than 90 MPs puts him in a strong position. He is contesting as an independent candidate.
Sajith Premadasa
The 57-year-old opposition leader and son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, he leads the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, or SJB, which broke away from Mr Wickremesinghe’s UNP in 2020.
His centrist, more left-wing party has sought changes to a $2.9 billion bailout program with the International Monetary Fund and outlined a plan to adjust some goals, such as changing taxes to reduce the cost of living.
Premadasa favours a mix of interventionist and free market economic policies.
Anura Kumar Dissanayake
The 55-year-old leader, who has just three seats in parliament, advocates tough anti-corruption measures and pro-poor policies that have given his candidature popularity.
He will contest the election under the National People’s Power or NPP alliance, which also includes his Marxist party, the People’s Liberation Front or PLF. His party has traditionally supported stronger government intervention and more closed market economic policies.
Pre-poll opinion polls showed Mr Dissanayake leading with 36% of voting preferences, followed by Mr Premadasa and Mr Wickremesinghe in third place.
Namal Rajapaksa
The 38-year-old leader is a scion of the powerful Rajapaksa family, which has produced two presidents – his father Mahinda and uncle Gotabaya. Namal is a surprise entry, running as the candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, or SLPP, founded by his other uncle Basil.
He faces the difficult task of keeping the party united to prevent Mr Wickremesinghe’s chances of victory.
Nuwan Bopage
Nuwan Bopage, 40, is the presidential candidate of the People’s Struggle Alliance, or PSA. He hopes to capitalise on the remnants of the massive popular uprising that ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa two years ago.
He has taken an anti-corruption stance, supported pro-poor policies, and opposed Sri Lanka’s engagement with IMF programmes.
