Polls close in Sri Lanka's first election since economic collapse

FRANCE 24

21 September 2024 at 1:48 am·1-min read

Sri Lankans voted on Saturday in the country's first presidential election since its economic collapse, with the unpopular IMF austerity plan at the forefront of voters' minds. President Ranil Wickremesinghe faces tough opposition as his economic reforms, though stabilising the nation, have caused widespread hardship, fuelling support for candidates advocating political change.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka concluded its voting for the next president on Saturday, marking an effective referendum on the unpopular International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity plan introduced after the country’s unprecedented financial crisis.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is battling for a fresh mandate to continue the belt-tightening measures that have stabilised the economy but led to food, fuel, and medicine shortages, leaving millions struggling.

"There is a significant number of voters trying to send a strong message... that they are very disappointed with the way this country has been governed," Murtaza Jafferjee, of the think tank Advocata, told AFP.

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