COLOMBO: Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund aust...

17.1 million to vote, 200,000 officials deployed to conduct election

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, running as an independent, is seeking re-election in a tight contest against Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Sri Lankans hope their new leader will bring an improvement in their fragile economy as millions reel under poverty and debt.

There are a total of 38 candidates in the running for the President's post, but President Wickremesinghe faces an uphill battle from Sajith Premadasa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Namal Rajapaksa and Nuwan Bopage. The cash-strapped country is gearing up for a presidential election on Saturday.

Sri Lankan voters will head to the polls this Saturday to choose a new president. We'll see why the economy will be at the heart of the campaign with the financial collapse of 2022 still present in peoples'…

Sri Lanka's upcoming presidential election focuses on economic recovery after a financial crisis, with citizens facing ongoing hardships.

The people of Sri Lanka are set to vote for a new president on Saturday in an election that will be key in deciding the future reforms in the country that is reeling under an unprecedented economic crisis.

International observers from EU and Commonwealth monitor Sri Lanka's presidential election