Voting ends in Sri Lanka’s first presidential election since economic crash

While the economy has stabilised, many people are suffering as a result of austerity measures backed by the IMF.

Voting has ended in Sri Lanka’s presidential election as the country seeks to recover from an economic crisis and political upheaval that triggered mass protests and forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee.

The election on Saturday is widely seen as a referendum on his successor Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has restored some stability through austerity policies backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The measures, including tax hikes, have left millions struggling to make ends meet and are unpopular with many voters.

Turnout was at nearly 70 percent an hour before polling stations closed at 4pm (10:30 GMT), an election commission official said, citing provisional figures, the AFP news agency reported.

The record for voter turnout in a Sri Lankan presidential election was set in 2019 at 83.72 percent.

“I’ve taken this country out of bankruptcy,” Wickremesinghe said after casting his ballot.