Sri Lanka to hold first presidential election since near collapse of country 

On 21 September, Sri Lanka will hold its first presidential election since the near total collapse of its economy in 2022. 

The current President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was the country’s prime minister until the sitting president resigned and fled the country during the economic collapse. Wickremesinghe then became President. Wickremesinghe has been criticized by the opposition for austerity measures he took to rescue the country’s economy with an IMF bailout. He is currently polling in 3^rd place in most national polls.

In recent polling, Anura Kumara Dissanayake from the National People’s Power party (NPP) is in the lead. The NPP is strongly leftwing and Dissanayake was previously a Marxist but has moderated somewhat in recent years. 

Competing closely with Dissanayake for 2^nd place in the polls is Samagi Jana Balawegaya, from the centre-left United People’s Power party.