Who will be the next President of Sri Lanka..!?

sri lanka, which is slowly recovering from the worst economic crisis, will vote for a new president tomorrow. The financially troubled country is currently under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. In 2019, Gothayabaya Rajapaksa became the President with a majority. But due to price rises, unemployment, etc., in 2022, a major protest broke out in the country. Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country. Subsequently, Wickramasinghe took charge as the President and restored peace. He took some tough decisions and helped revive the economy.

It is in this environment that the next president is chosen. Apart from various smaller parties and independent candidates, this year's elections are dominated by two major alliances, the SJB (Samagi Jana Palavekaya) and the NPP (Desiya People's Power). Although 5 of them are star candidates, 2 of them have caused serious problems for Wickramasinghe.
Ranil Wickremesinghe:
75-year-old Ranil Wickremesinghe is a 6-time prime minister. His party has only one seat in Parliament. To increase his chances he needs to get the support of major parties. Ranil Wickremesinghe's re-election bid failed to garner formal support from the sri lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which has the majority of seats in the 225-member parliament. But the support of more than 90 legislators has put him in a strong position. Now he has fielded as an independent candidate.

Sajith Premadasa:
Sajith Premadasa, the 57-year-old opposition leader and son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa, heads the Samaki Jana Palavekaya or SJB, a 2020 breakaway from Wickramasinghe's UNP. His centrist, far-left party has demanded changes to a $2.9 billion loan program with the international Monetary Fund. It has put forward plans to adjust some of its targets, such as changing taxes to lower the cost of living. Premadasa advocates a combination of interventionist and free-market economic policies.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake:
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55, has won just three seats in Parliament. Strict anti-corruption measures and pro-poor policies have attracted public attention. He is contesting under the National People's Power or NPP alliance. In a pre-election poll, Dissanayake was leading with 36% of the vote, followed by Premadasa and Wickramasinghe in third place.

Namal Rajapaksa:
Namal, 38, is a scion of the powerful Rajapaksa family that produced two presidents. Following his father Mahinda and uncle Gothapaya, Namal is running as the presidential candidate of sri lanka Podujana Peramuna or SLPP. He faces a tough task of keeping the party united to face Wickremesinghe's chances of victory. But, Namal's chances of success are said to be slim.

Nuwan Bopage:
40-year-old Nuwan Bopage is the presidential candidate of the People's Action Alliance, or PSA. He has taken a strong anti-corruption stance. Supports pro-poor policies and opposes Sri Lanka's compliance with the IMF program.
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Sowmiya Sriram

20/09/2024 10:20 AM