Sri Lanka's Presidential Election Date Set for September 21

The independent elections commission of Sri Lanka has announced that the presidential election will be held on September 21. This ends speculation about postponement to extend the term of incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The election will fill the remainder term left vacant by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ousting.

The independent elections commission of Sri Lanka announced today that the presidential election will be held on September 21, concluding months of speculation about a possible postponement to extend the term of the current President, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

According to the government gazette no 2394/51, issued today, the election will be conducted under article 31 (3) of the constitution, with nominations being accepted on August 15.

The election aims to conclude the remaining term of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forced out of office in mid-2022 following a public uprising. Elected in November 2019 with nearly 7 million votes, Rajapaksa fled the country on July 9, 2022, in the wake of the island's worst economic crisis since 1948.

Following Rajapaksa's departure, crisis-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected by parliament to succeed him. Wickremesinghe has since worked to revive the bankrupt economy, securing a bailout facility from the IMF. India also provided a $4 billion lifeline for essential imports during the first quarter of 2022.

Sri Lanka declared its first sovereign default by mid-April, and a year later, the IMF released the first tranche of a nearly $3 billion facility to be extended over four years. Although the stringent reforms required by the program have been unpopular, Wickremesinghe remains committed to navigating the country out of bankruptcy and is expected to run in the upcoming presidential election.

(With inputs from agencies.)