Vote count underway in Sri Lanka's presidential election after years of turmoil

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.

They will show whether Sri Lankans approve of Wickremesinghe's leadership of a fragile recovery, including restructuring Sri Lanka's debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout program after it defaulted in 2022.

The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.

At the time of its default, Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion. The government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.

Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling with high taxes and living costs.

Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion that is crucial to maintaining stability.

Voters hope for an end to instability

Most Sri Lankans voted with the economy in mind, hoping a new government will lead the way out of crisis and end entrenched corruption.

“I think corruption is one of the main reasons that led the country to the present pathetic condition. So, the next leader should pay attention to eliminate corruption and start building the country,” said Chandrakumar Suriyaarachchi, a driver who voted in Saturday's election. "Our children deserve a better life.”

Political experts say widespread disenchantment with the political old guard — widely blamed for Sri Lanka's economic instability — could mean no single candidate is able to secure 50% of votes as a first preference. In that scenario, the top two candidates move to a second round of counting that takes into account second-choice votes.

There are concerns that if a clear winner fails to emerge, the island nation could plunge into more instability.

Voter Visaka Dissanayake said he hopes Sri Lanka votes for a “strong leader, who will set the path for economic recovery."

“We have now come out of a very difficult situation. So, I hope the economic recovery will continue,” Dissanayake said.

Rajapaksa political dynasty casts a long shadow

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.

The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Now, Wickremesinghe is seeking another term to strengthen the gains.

However, many people accuse him of protecting members of the Rajapaksa family, whom they blame for the economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe, who was the only member of his party in Parliament, was elected mainly with the votes of Rajapaksa loyalists. They also supported him as members of his Cabinet and in voting for the reforms he proposed.

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Associated Press video journalist Rishi Lekhi contributed to this report.