Sri Lanka Sets Dates for Presidential Election Amid Political Speculations

Sri Lanka’s Election Commission announced that the country will hold its presidential election between September 17 and October 16. The decision was made public in a notice signed by the commission’s chairman, R.M.A.L. Ratnayake.

Wickremesinghe, who replaced Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister in May 2022 and then became President two months later, will represent several parties as a national candidate. The veteran politician may face his cabinet colleague, Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, former President Maithripala Sirisena announced that his Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s candidate will be Rajapakshe.