COLOMBO, Sept 19 (Askume) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is one of 38 candidates running in Saturday’s presidential election that will be crucial in determining the future of reforms in a country facing its worst financial crisis in decades.
Here is a brief overview of the five leading candidates:
Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75
Lawyer Wickremesinghe, a record six-time prime minister, needs the support of major parties to bolster his prospects as his party has just one seat in Parliament.
As leader of the United National Party (UNP), he took office in July 2022 after widespread protests caused by the financial crisis forced his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee Sri Lanka and later resign.
Parliament elected Wickremesinghe to serve the remaining five years of Rajapaksa’s term, who took office in 2019.
Wickremesinghe’s bid for re-election is not officially backed by the Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP), which has the most seats in the 225-member parliament, but the support of more than 90 MPs puts him in a strong position. He contested the election as an independent candidate.
Sajith Premadasa, 57
He is the son of opposition leader and former President Ranasinghe Premadasa and leads the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which broke away from Wickremesinghe’s UNP in 2020.
His centrist, left-wing party has called for revisions to the International Monetary Fund’s $2.9 billion bailout and outlined plans to alter some of its goals, such as changing taxes to reduce the cost of living.
Premadasa supported a combination of interventionism and free market economic policies.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55
Although Dissanayake has only three seats in Parliament, he has promoted his candidacy by promising tough anti-corruption measures and anti-poverty policies.
He will contest the election in the National Alliance for People’s Power (NPP), which also includes his Marxist party, the Popular Liberation Front. His party has traditionally supported stronger government intervention and more closed-market economic policies.
Pre-election surveys showed Dissanayake leading with 36% support, followed by Premadasa and Wickremasinghe in third place.
Namal Rajapaksa, 38
A scion of the powerful Rajapaksa family, which produced two presidents – his father Mahinda and uncle Gotabaya – Namal was an unexpected entrant as he was the Sri Lanka Podujana candidate of the Sri Lanka Peramuna Party (SLPP), a party founded by his other uncle Basil.
He faces the tough challenge of keeping his party united to negate Wickremesinghe’s chances of victory.
Nouwen Beaupage, 40
Popular Struggle Alliance candidate Bo Page hopes to capitalise on the remnants of the massive uprising that ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa two years ago.
He took an anti-corruption stance, supported anti-poverty policies, and opposed Sri Lanka’s participation in International Monetary Fund programmes.
