Sri Lanka Presidential elections underway in first polls since economic crisis; why today's vote crucial for India
Sri Lanka Presidential Elections 2024: Sri Lanka went to the polls on Saturday for a presidential election, which could impact the country's future after a severe economic crisis and political turmoil. With 38 candidates, the race is usually viewed as a three-way battle between incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
Wickremesinghe, 75, succeeded former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who left in 2022 as the country's economy collapsed and Sri Lankans staged large protests against the government.
President Wickremesinghe gained the people's trust as a six-time prime minister and for his involvement in arranging an IMF bailout for the struggling country.
Dissanayake, a key competition for the country's top position, is now winning opinion polls ahead of the election, according to Reuters.
His party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), has led Marxist uprisings against the government twice and was a big contributor to the nationwide demonstrations in 2022.
According to an Aljazeera report, Dissanayake opposed a probe into war crimes against the Tamil minority, thereby alienating them from his mandate.
The 57-year-old politician, the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, leads Sri Lanka's major opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
He lost the 2019 elections to Gotabaya Rajapaksa by a slim margin, and he has appealed to voters this time with a vow to tax the rich in order to ease the country's poverty.
With 17 million eligible voters, the final results are scheduled to be out on Sunday. The outcome will reflect public opinion of Wickremesinghe's leadership amid a difficult recovery period.
Sri Lanka's elections have far-reaching consequences, with nearby India having strong interests for a variety of reasons.
The minority Tamil population in Sri Lanka maintains close ties with the Indian state of Tamil Nadu across the ocean. The Tamilian minority and its supporters are concerned as Sinhalese candidates lead the charge. According to Reuters, the Sri Lankan Tamil community has "no hope" for the outcome of the presidential election.
However, India's biggest concern is China's expanding influence over Sri Lanka. The two nations have been contending for a foothold in Sri Lanka because of the country's vital position for trade and military operations.
Bloomberg stated that the Indian Adani Group has engaged in a multibillion-dollar project to expand the Colombo West International Terminal.
Sri Lanka has also handed over control of Hambantota, a key shipping centre, to China for 99 years owing to financial difficulties. According to Bloomberg, Sri Lanka's dependency on China has risen over time, with the country receiving 11.2 billion dollars in grants, bailouts, and loans from China between 2006 and 2022.
Sajith Premadasa and his party have been the most fierce critics of China's involvement in Sri Lanka.
- PTC NEWS
