Colombo, Aug 15 (IANS): A total of 39 candidates will be contesting the September 21 presidential election in Sri Lanka, the first after the island nation's worst-ever economic crisis.
“40 candidates, including those representing political parties and independent individuals, had filed deposits for the election but only 39 handed over nominations," Election Commissioner, R. M. Ratnayake announced on Thursday in the presence of all the candidates. The gathering included the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Marxist leader Anura Dissanayake, who are considered as the front-runners to the election.
The Election Commissioner also cautioned the candidates to adhere to the election laws in their campaign, both publicly and through media. He also warned that legal action would be taken against those violating the election laws.
Out of the total population of around 22 million, 17.1 are eligible to vote in the upcoming election. This includes 1.2 million new voters.
In the 2019 election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was elected as the President after recording a landslide victory.
However, a severe economic crisis after the Covid pandemic and several shortsighted decisions led to a major economic crisis in the country with severe shortage of basic essentials like food, fuel, medicine and cooking gas.
Widespread protests and violence forced Gotabaya to flee the country in July 2022 with several other members in the Rajapaksas family also going into a hiding.
As he left, Gotabaya invited Wickremesinghe to take over the country with the support of nearly 60 per cent SLPP majority in the parliament.
Having gradually controlled the economic crisis, Wickremesinghe asked SLPP to support him in the upcoming Presidential Election but the Rajapaksas accused the President of dividing their party and denied any support.
Last week, Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of former President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, also entered Sri Lanka's Presidential election race.