Sri Lanka will hold presidential election on Sept. 21, its first since declaring bankruptcy in 2022
Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on Sept. 21 that will likely be a test of confidence in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s efforts to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis
By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
Published - Jul 26, 2024, 03:11 AM ET
Last Updated - Jul 26, 2024, 03:11 AM EDT
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on Sept. 21 that will likely be a test of confidence in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s efforts to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis.
The date was announced by the independent elections commission Friday, which said nominations will be accepted on Aug. 15.
Wickremesinghe is expected to run while his main rivals will be opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake, who is the leader of a leftist political party that has gained popularity after the economic debacle.
It will be the first election in the South Asian island nation after it declared bankruptcy in 2022 and suspended repayments on some $83 billion in domestic and foreign loans.
