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Thursday September 19, 2024

Sri Lanka presidential contenders wrap up campaigning

By Reuters
September 19, 2024
People walk near the posters of Sri Lankas president Ranil Wickremesinghe before his final rally at a residential area for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri Lanka September 18, 2024. — Reuters
People walk near the posters of Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe before his final rally at a residential area for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri Lanka September 18, 2024. — Reuters

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s presidential candidates wrapped up their campaigning on Wednesday, 48 hours before the election, pledging to fix the island country’s ailing economy that is struggling to recover from a debilitating financial crisis.

Over 17 million Sri Lankans will vote on Saturday to elect a new president for a five-year term, the first election since a severe shortfall of dollar reserves pushed the South Asian island into its worst financial freefall in decades.