Who are the key candidates in Sri Lanka’s election?
There are a total of 38 candidates vying for the presidential position in Sri lanka. Originally there were 39 candidates however, independent Idroos Mohamed Ilyas, died of a heart attack in August, says Al Jazeera.
Here are the top three contenders:
Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75
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Ranil Wickremesinghe is the incumbent president of Sri Lanka, originally elected to complete the term of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was deposed after mass protests in 2022. He has served as prime minister six times, and is contesting the election as an independent, even though he is the leader of the centre right United National Party (UNP).
He is currently campaigning on the platform that he pulled Sri Lanka out of economic duress, however he has face criticisms for his cuts for social benefits as part of the IMF loan deal.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55
Anura Kumara Dissanayake is from the left leaning National People's Power(NPP) coalition.
Originally the leader of the Marxist-Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna (People's Liberation Front), which lead insurrections in the 1970's and 1980's, he is currently the frontrunner in the election, according to polls.
Since the mass protests two years ago that ended the Rajapaksa reign, he has rallied support behind him with promises of anticorruption measures and pro-poor policies.
Sajith Premadasa, 57
Sajith Premadasa is from the populist Samagi Jana Balawegaya(SJB) party, a 2020 breakaway from Wickremesinghe's UNP.
He is the son of former president Ranashinghe Premadasa, and is the current opposition leader in Sri Lanka's Parliament.
While he along with the two other leading candidates are Sinhalese, he won a majority of the Tamil vote in 2019.
His major campaign promise is to ease the tax burdens that have grown under the incumbent's rule.
