Ending months of speculation, the independent electoral commission announced Friday that presidential elections will be held on Sept. 21, the first in 2022 since the island nation was hit by an economic crisis.
The government notification announcing the polling date also declared that nominations would be accepted on August 15. The announcement of the election date puts to rest the uncertainty over the postponement of the polls, which was a concern of the opposition parties.
Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe has officially announced his candidacy for the presidential election. His agent, Presidential Adviser Ronald Perera, has provided the necessary funds to run on his behalf as an independent candidate, putting an end to any doubts about his candidacy. Sri Lanka’s economic recovery effortswill be running without the support of the United National Party, weakened by its 2020 split.
The 75-year-old president took office in July 2022 after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amid widespread protests over his handling of the economic crisis. Rajapaksa was elected in November 2019 with a record number of nearly seven million votes. National default in April 2022 Serious economic problems caused major unrest and ultimately forced President Rajapaksa to resign.
In addition to Wickremesinghe, several other candidates are running for president, including Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Law Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse.
The election will be crucial in determining the future of Sri Lanka’s economic reforms. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the government has implemented tough economic reforms as part of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program following a bailout package extended to early 2022. Wickremesinghe’s candidacy is seen as an attempt to capitalize on the economic recovery he has overseen.
