Vote count underway in Sri Lanka's presidential election after years of turmoil
Vote counting is underway in Sri Lanka’s presidential election as it seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis and political upheaval
By KRISHAN FRANCIS, SHEIKH SAALIQ and BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
Published - Sep 21, 2024, 12:39 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 07:02 PM EST
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Voting ended in Sri Lanka's presidential election Saturday as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
The election, contested by 38 candidates, was largely a three-way race among incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
There were no major incidents reported during the vote but authorities declared a countrywide curfew until Sunday morning as a precaution, police said.
There are 17 million eligible voters, and final results are expected Sunday.
