New Delhi:

Anura Kumara Dissanayake – Sri Lanka’s new Marxist President – has said he wants to avoid being “sandwiched” between India and China but recognises each as a “valued partner”, as he tries to resolve a financial crisis that has roiled his country since 2019 and led to a sovereign default in April 2022.

The former grassroots leader made it clear he intends to steer clear of geopolitical rumblings in South Asia or the Indian Ocean region. He acknowledged that each can provide much-needed financial aid but said he also wanted closer ties with the West, the Middle East, and even Africa.

The remarks were made in an interview with The Monocle, a global affairs and lifestyle magazine, in early September (before his election win was confirmed), in which he spoke about his foreign policy.

“There are many power camps within a multipolar system… but we won’t be part of that geopolitical fight, nor will we be aligned with any party. We also don’t want to be sandwiched, especially between China and India. Both are valued friends and we expect them to become closer partners.”

Mr Dissanayake, 55, a previously fringe Left leader, was catapulted into the limelight after winning the presidential election; he pulled over 42 per cent of the votes.

READ | Marxist Leader Anura Dissanayake Wins Sri Lanka’s Prez Polls

Rumoured close ties to China raised eyebrows, particularly in Delhi, which expressed concerns over Beijing’s growing influence on Sri Lanka, which sits on key shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean. Added to that, the South China Morning Post claimed Beijing expects Dissanayake will seek “maximum support” via foreign direct investment.

That report cited an economics professor from the University of Colombo as saying it is “highly probable” Mr Dissanayake would prefer to work with Beijing over Delhi.

However, Mr Dissanayake has, publicly at least, sought to reassure both Delhi and the United States, which too is wary of China’s growing influence. 

READ | The Rise Of Lanka’s Anura Dissanayake From Grassroots To President

Speaking to an Indian publication on voting day (on Saturday), Mr Dissanayake said India is “crucial” to his country’s hopes for economic stability and regional security.

“We will consider how our economic measures impact our country (while) recognising the importance of India’s support in our development efforts,” he told The Week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Mr Dissanayake, stating he looks forward to working closely with him to further strengthen the Indo-Lanka multifaceted cooperation. Mr Modi’s post on X also contained a reference to Colombo’s “special place” in Delhi’s Neighbourhood First policy.

READ | PM Congratulates Dissanayake For Victory In Sri Lankan Polls

Mr Dissanayake responded, “I share your commitment… Together, we can work towards enhancing cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and the entire region.”

The Sri Lankan leader also played down fears – expressed by both Delhi and Washington – his country would become a military base for Beijing; as recently as last month three Chinese Navy ships were berthed at Colombo Port, at the same time as India’s front-line warship, INS Mumbai, docked.

“We are committed to maintaining our sovereignty and will not become subordinate to any power in this geopolitical race…” Mr Dissanayake said this month.

Delhi has played a key role – recognised by the International Monetary Fund, which has provided a $3 billion bailout programme – in guiding Colombo through the ongoing financial crisis, having provided aid – food, medicines, fuel, etc., – worth nearly $4 billion since the storm broke.

READ | IMF To Work With Sri Lanka’s New President On $3 Billion Loan

Mr Dissanayake, however, has said he will try to renegotiate the IMF’s loan conditions, some of which led to tax hikes and spending cuts, which many in Colombo said actually exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis that sparked the violent protests of 2019 and 2020. Reviewing the debt plan, though, risks delaying additional loans he needs to meet fiscal criteria before more funds are released.

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People stand in a queue to vote at a polling station during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 21, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Polls opened on Saturday (September 21, 2024) in Sri Lanka’s crucial presidential election — the island nation’s first major electoral exercise since its worst economic meltdown in 2022.

Some 17 million people are eligible to vote at over 13,400 polling stations.

Over 200,000 officials have been deployed to conduct the election which will be guarded by 63,000 police personnel. Voting started at 7 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m. Results are expected by Sunday. Voters will choose among 38 presidential candidates.

Also read: Follow Sri Lanka Presidential poll LIVE updates

With Sri Lankans heading to polls, here are 5 reasons why this election is different:

Three-cornered race:

All past presidential polls in the island nation had two main candidates and one certain winner. This is the first time three candidates are at the fore. Incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa, and popular opposition legislator Anura Kumara Dissanayake are in what appears a close race for the country’s top office.

Substantially altered political landscape:

The country’s two traditional parties — the centre-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the centre-right United National Party (UNP) — have been decimated over the last few years. Their breakaway formations have detached themselves from the parent parties. The National People’s Power (NPP) Alliance, led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People’s Liberation Front), has emerged as a prominent third front, vowing to shake up the old political establishment.

Although Mr. Wickremesinghe is from and still leads the UNP, he is running as an independent candidate this election.

Mr. Premadasa, who was earlier Deputy Leader of the UNP, now leads the main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB or United People’s Front), that broke away from the UNP some years ago.

Mr. Dissanayake has been fielded by the NPP alliance, which is a broad social coalition with the JVP as its core constituent. The JVP is a political party with Marxist-Leninist origins that has led two armed insurrections of Sinhalese youth against the state in the 1970s and 1980s.

A possible second round of counting

Sri Lanka follows a preferential voting system that allows voters to mark three preferences on the ballot. A candidate must secure 50% plus one vote to be declared winner. If no candidate garners the majority vote share, a second count of votes will be used to pick the winner. The preferential votes received by the top two candidates will be factored in, and the contestant who gets the highest number of votes will be named the winner. All past presidential elections in Sri Lanka have yielded a clear winner, ruling out the need for a second vote count. However, in a closely fought three-cornered race, securing over 50 % of the mandate may prove hard for any candidate, necessitating a second round of counting of votes, for the first time in Sri Lanka’s election history.

Economy displaces ethnic issue as central poll plank

The island nation’s last few elections were dominated by promises of “eradicating terrorism” (the country’s three decade-long civil war ended in 2009), and pledges of delivering “good governance”, or “national security”. However, economic concerns have taken centre stage this election, the first to be held after the country experienced a crushing economic crisis in 2022. Candidates have sought to address widespread anger over corruption, and the loud call from citizens to eliminate it.

People’s issues, not personalities, matter

After a mass uprising ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office in 2022, the Rajapaksa clan that dominated Sri Lankan politics for some two decades has been forced into political retreat. Although Namal

A couple walks past an election poster showing a portrait of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, September 16, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

A group of election observers from the European Union and the Commonwealth have arrived in Sri Lanka to monitor the presidential election on Saturday (September 21, 2024).

A total of 116 representatives from various international election observation organisations have arrived in Sri Lanka to monitor the upcoming presidential election, the Newsfirst news portal reported on Friday (September 20, 2024)

Among the observers, 78 are from the European Union (EU), marking a substantial contingent from the EU election observation mission.

The EU has previously done election monitoring in Sri Lanka six times with the last being at the presidential election of 2019.

Additionally, 22 representatives from the Commonwealth have also arrived to participate in the monitoring activities.

The Asian Election Observation Network has sent nine observers, while seven representatives from South Asian regional countries have joined the election monitoring process this year, following an invitation from the Election Commission.

These international observers have been deployed across twenty-five districts to carry out their monitoring duties.

The National Election Commission has assured that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety and security of the observers, with local police stations being duly informed of their presence and responsibilities.

Over 17.1 million registered voters are eligible to vote at the election for a direct vote to elect an executive president for a 5-year term. This will be the first election since the worst economic crisis in the country in 73 years.

Polling will take place between 7 am to 5 pm on Saturday (September 21, 2024) at over 13,400 polling stations.

The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are the front runners with over 17 million of the island’s 21 million population eligible to vote.

The people of Sri Lanka are set to vote for a new president on Saturday in an election that will be key in deciding the future reforms in the country that is reeling under an unprecedented economic crisis. 

More than 17 million Sri Lankans are eligible to vote for their next president, who will serve a five-year term.

Who all are nominated?

The Sri Lankan elections panel approved the nominations of 39 candidates, including the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe. One candidate died later. Among the frontrunners are Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, leader of the National People’s Power party, and leader of opposition Sajith Premadasa from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party.

How did the candidates campaign?

The current president, Mr Wickremesinghe, held his first rally on August 17 in the historic city of Anuradhapura. It was the first out of nearly a 100 of his rallies. His key rivals also held about a dozen rallies each.

The campaigning ended at midnight on Wednesday, 48 hours before election day.

What is the election process?

Sri Lanka follows the first-past-the-post system, allowing voters to choose three candidates. The candidate securing at least 50% or more of the overall vote is declared the winner.

In case no candidate gets 50% votes in the first round, there is a legal provision for a run-off between the two frontrunners. Given the close race, Sri Lanka could see a second count for the first time in four decades since the introduction of the voting system.

How will the votes be counted?

Sri Lankans will cast their votes at thousands of polling stations amid tight security. Government employees will count them afterwards under the supervision of Election Commission officials, election monitors and representatives of candidates.

Voting will begin at 7 AM local time and end at 4 PM. Counting will start shortly after.

When will the results be declared?

The winner will formally be announced by the Election Commission, probably on Sunday. The oath taking ceremony usually takes place on the same day.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, presidential candidate of Opposition political party National People’s Power. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) on Monday (September 16, 2024) vowed to cancel the Adani Group’s wind power project in Sri Lanka if it gets elected in the presidential election scheduled for the weekend.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate from the broader front National People’s Power (NPP), told a political chat show here that they would annul the project.

Asked if the project posed a threat to the island nation’s energy sector sovereignty, Mr. Dissanayake said, “Yes. We will definitely cancel it as it threatens our energy sovereignty.” The JVP, which led a bloody anti-India rebellion in the island nation between 1987 and 1990 following India’s direct intervention in the Lankan civil war through the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord, is believed to be leading in the unofficial polls ahead of the September 21 election.

The JVP dubbed the Indo-Lanka Accord a betrayal of the nation and killed the then-ruling party members, supporters and other political activists who supported the pact signed between then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and J.R. Jayewardena, the President of Sri Lanka at that time.

A crucial election in Sri Lanka | Explained

The Adani Group has faced fundamental rights litigation in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court after it got approval for the proposed construction of a wind power project in the island nation’s northeastern regions of Mannar and Pooneryn.

The Adani Group was set to invest over $440 million in the 20-year agreement for the development of 484 megawatts of wind power in the region.

Editorial | Back from the brink: On the Sri Lankan elections and the road ahead

Petitioners have raised environmental concerns and lack of transparency in the bidding process to grant Adani Green Energy the go-ahead.

Petitioners have also argued that the agreed tariff of $0.0826 per kWh would be a loss to Sri Lanka and should be lowered to $0.005 per kWh.

Sri Lanka’s opening Test against New Zealand at Galle next month will be a six-day affair with the provision of a rest day owing to the Presidential election in the island nation. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Sri Lanka’s opening Test against New Zealand at Galle next month will be a six-day affair with the provision of a rest day owing to the Presidential election in the island nation.

The Test, scheduled to commence on September 18, will have a rest day on September 21, “owing to the Presidential Election of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka”, said an ICC release on Friday (August 23, 2024).

It will be the first time in more than two decades that Sri Lanka is scheduled to host a Test across six days, with their match against Zimbabwe in Colombo in 2001 also including a rest day due to Poya Day (full moon), said the ICC.

The two-match series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle with the second Test scheduled at the same venue from September 26-30.

Rest days were a common feature in Test cricket in the last century, with several matches in the cricketing world being played across six days with Sunday usually being an off day.

More recently, Bangladesh played a Test-series opener against Sri Lanka in December 2008, which was a six-day affair because of a parliamentary election.

New Zealand and Sri Lanka are currently placed third and fourth respectively in the World Test Championship standings.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe gestures as he arrives at the Election Commission in Rajagiriya to submit his nomination papers for the upcoming Presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on August 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the front runner in the Presidential poll scheduled for next month, was on Friday (August 16, 2024) endorsed by a grand coalition of more than 30 political parties and groups.

This comes after Mr. Wickremesinghe (75) announced himself as the independent candidate on Thursday (August 15, 2024) by handing over nominations to contest the September 21 Presidential election.

Election crucial for Sri Lanka’s future: President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the now decimated grand old party, the United National Party (UNP), is backed by the Rajapaksa family breakaways from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

Mr. Wickremesinghe was elected as the stop-gap President after then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted in a popular uprising following his inability to handle the country’s unprecedented economic crisis that led to a shortage of essential commodities.

The SLPP of the Rajapaksas provided Mr. Wickremesinghe with Parliamentary support to become the President but did not approve of the incumbent President’s hard reforms to revive the bankrupt economy. The SLPP has fielded the heir apparent of the dynasty Namal Rajapaksa (38) against him.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, who initiated a hard reform programme led by the International Monetary Fund, took upon reviving the economy with the support from his SLPP-dominated Cabinet.

Explained | The political career of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

“I’m thankful to those who supported me to handle this difficult task. They did not run away when challenged to perform the responsibilities of the country,” Mr. Wickremesinghe, also the Finance Minister, said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, since being elected, implemented hard economic reforms as necessitated by the IMF to secure a bail-out of nearly $3 billion over four years.

His hard reforms brought in stability although the Opposition said the economic hardships caused by the IMF deal had left the public in the lurch. The Opposition has vowed to renegotiate the IMF programme to provide relief to the public.

Mr. Wickremesinghe’s main rivals are once his deputy Sajith Premadasa and the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

There have been several individuals who changed loyalties to Mr. Wickremesinghe and Premadasa and vice-versa since the election was announced by the island nation’s independent election commission.

Chief of Sri Lanka’s election commission R.M.A.L. Rathnayake addresses the media. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on September 21 that will likely be a test of confidence in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s efforts to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis. The date was announced in a decree the independent elections commission released on July 26. It also said nominations will be accepted on August 15.

It will be the first election in the South Asian island nation after it declared bankruptcy in 2022 and suspended repayments on some $83 billion in domestic and foreign loans. That followed a severe foreign exchange crisis that led to a severe shortage of essentials such as food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas, and extended power outages.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to run while his main rivals will be opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake, who is the leader of a leftist political party that has gained popularity after the economic debacle.

It will be the first election in the South Asian island nation after it declared bankruptcy in 2022 and suspended repayments on some $83 billion in domestic and foreign loans. That followed a severe foreign exchange crisis that led to a severe shortage of essentials such as food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas, and extended power outages.

The election is largely seen as a crucial vote for the island nation’s efforts to conclude a critical debt restructuring program and as well as completing the financial reforms agreed under a bailout program by the International Monetary Fund.

The country’s economic upheaval led to a political crisis that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign in 2022. Parliament then elected the then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president.

Under Mr. Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka has been negotiating with the international creditors to restructure the staggering debts and to put the economy back on the track. The IMF also approved a four-year bailout programme last March to help Sri Lanka.

Last month, Mr. Wickremesinghe announced that his government has struck a debt restructuring deal with countries including India, France, Japan and China — marking a key step in the country’s economic recovery after defaulting on debt repayment in 2022.

The economic situation has improved under Wickremesinghe and severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine have largely abated. But public dissatisfaction has grown over the government’s effort to increase revenue by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses, as part of the government’s efforts to meet the IMF conditions.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis

Sri Lanka’s crisis was largely the result of staggering economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which along with 2019 terrorism attacks devastated its important tourism industry. The coronavirus crisis also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad.

Additionally, the then-government slashed taxes in 2019, depleting the treasury just as the virus hit. Foreign exchange reserves plummeted, leaving Sri Lanka unable to pay for imports or defend its beleaguered currency, the rupee.

Under the agreements with its creditors, Sri Lanka will be able to defer all bilateral loan instalment payments until 2028. Furthermore, Sri Lanka will be able to repay all the loans on concessional terms, with an extended period until 2043. The agreements would cover $10 billion of debt.

By 2022, Sri Lanka had to repay about $6 billion in foreign debt every year, amounting to about 9.2% of gross domestic product. The agreement would enable Sri Lanka to maintain debt payments at less than 4.5% of GDP between 2027 and 2032.

President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the Presidential election as an independent candidate, his aide said on July 7.

Deputy Chairman of the United National Party Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed that the presidential election will definitely be held and Mr. Wickremesinghe, 75, will contest the election as an independent candidate, News 1st reported.

“Only one leader possesses the knowledge to solve Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. That is Ranil Wickremesinghe. He has proved it with his actions,” he was quoted as saying by the news portal.

On July 7, Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said the electoral body would be legally empowered after July 17 to announce the date for the election.

Mr. Ratnayake added that the commission will announce the date for the next presidential poll before the end of this month.

The Election Commission in May said the presidential election would be conducted between September 17 and October 16.

Mr. Ratnayake said the commission is currently in the process of putting final touches to the 2024 electoral register which will be the basis for the election. Over 17 million would be eligible to vote in the election as per the revised list, officials said.

In April 2022, the island nation declared its first-ever sovereign default since gaining Independence from Britain in 1948. The unprecedented financial crisis led President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to quit office in 2022 amid civil unrest over his inability to handle the crisis.

In July 2022, Mr. Wickremesinghe was elected through parliament to become stop-gap President for the balance term of Mr. Rajapaksa.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, also the Finance Minister, hasn’t made any public statement on his bid for re-election.

“This election isn’t merely about selecting individuals but about choosing the most effective system for our country’s progress. If you believe in the merits of the current approach, let us proceed accordingly,” the President’s Media Division quoted him as saying earlier.

The government under Mr. Wickremesinghe has set in place hard economic reforms as dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

President Wickremesinghe last month said that his government has finalised a long-delayed debt restructuring agreement for $5.8 billion with its bilateral lenders, including India and China, in Paris to meet a key condition of an IMF bailout.

Colombo:

Sri Lanka’s Tamil political parties are planning to field a candidate from the minority community in the presidential election to present a credible and acceptable political solution for them, a senior community leader said.

Sri Lanka is scheduled to hold the next presidential election in the last quarter of 2024 to elect a new President by mid-November.

Addressing reporters at his residence in the eastern port district of Trincomalee, senior Tamil leader R Sampanthan said that Tamils will be well served in the forthcoming presidential election by supporting a candidate who would pledge to resolve all issues concerning the minority through an acceptable political solution.

The political parties that form the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have proposed to field a Tamil candidate, he said. But the Tamils must understand that such a candidate would not be able to pull much support and as such the parties must decide on the best course of action, he added.

Mr Sampanthan stressed that the candidate who would present a credible and acceptable political solution for the Tamils by merging the north and east provinces should be an important political factor for the Tamils.

Asked if the Tamils are likely to support incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe if he comes forward to be a candidate, R Sampanthan said it would depend on talks with him following his handing over of the nominations to contest the election.

In Sri Lanka’s presidential election since 1982, Tamil candidates have contested the election but in most of them, they have by and large supported the Opposition front-runner against the incumbent.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)