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.
Wickremesinghe’s two years in office brought calm to the streets after widespread civil unrest in 2022, when thousands stormed the compound of his predecessor, prompting him to flee the country.
"We must continue with reforms to end bankruptcy," Wickremesinghe, 75, said at his final rally in Colombo earlier this week. "Decide if you want to go back to the period of terror or progress."
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However, Wickremesinghe's tax hikes and other austerity measures, implemented under the terms of a $2.9-billion IMF bailout, have left many citizens struggling to make ends meet. He faces formidable competition from two main opposition candidates, including Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, the leader of a once-marginal Marxist party whose popularity has surged thanks to his promise to root out Sri Lanka's "corrupt" political culture.
The country’s economic crisis has created an opportunity for the 55-year-old Dissanayaka, whose pledge for change resonates with voters frustrated by the ruling establishment. Another strong contender is Sajith Premadasa, son of a former president who was assassinated in 1993 during Sri Lanka's civil war.
"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.
‘Not out of the woods’
More than 17 million people are eligible to vote in the election, with over 63,000 police deployed to ensure security at polling stations and counting centers. "We also have anti-riot squads on standby in case of any trouble, but so far, everything is peaceful," police spokesman Nihal Talduwa said. In some areas, police were deployed to protect polling booths from wild animals, especially elephants.
Polls closed at 4pm (1030 GMT), with counting set to begin on Saturday evening.
A result is expected by Sunday, though an official outcome could be delayed if the race is tight.
Schools were closed on Friday and converted into polling stations, with over 200,000 public servants assigned to conduct the vote.
Economic challenges dominated the eight-week campaign, as public anger remains widespread over the hardships endured since the peak of the financial crisis two years ago. Official data shows that Sri Lanka's poverty rate doubled to 25% between 2021 and 2022, pushing more than 2.5 million people below the poverty line.
Although the IMF stated that the reforms introduced by Wickremesinghe’s government were starting to bear fruit, it warned that the economy remains vulnerable, with payments on the country's $46-billion foreign debt yet to resume following the 2022 default.
"A lot of progress has been made," the IMF's Julie Kozack noted during a briefing in Washington last week. "But the country is not out of the woods yet."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
