Sri Lanka presidential candidates end campaigns

Sri Lanka's presidential candidates wrapped up their campaigning , ahead of the vote.

Current president Ranil Wickremesinghe told supporters that Sri Lanka’s economy "could have sunk" were it not for his leadership. 

"Like the Titanic, Sri Lanka could have sunk. It was inundated with water. There was no electricity. There was no captain. I took responsibility for the ship. And I decided that I would finish what I started,” he added.

Over 17 million Sri Lankans will vote, seeking a leader who can address corruption and revitalize the economy as the country faces its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told his supporters that his is the winning party, with Wickremesinghe and left-wing candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake “well below” his numbers.

"According to Intelligence agency reports, we are winning with a majority of two million votes. The two political twins, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who are opposing me, are well below me,.” he said.

The economic collapse, blamed largely on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was triggered by a sharp decline in foreign exchange reserves, which crippled imports of essentials and ignited protests that led to his ousting.

According to the Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey by the Institute for Health Policy Dissanayake of the National People's Party leads with 36% support, followed by opposition leader Premadasa at 32%, and President Wickremesinghe in third with 28%.

Wickremesinghe, who was elected by Parliament after Rajapaksa's ouster, has overseen a fragile recovery, supported by a $2.9 billion IMF bailout and a $25 billion debt restructuring plan. However, recovery has come at the cost of economic hardship, fueling demands for political change.

The 2022 meltdown drove inflation to 70%, power tariffs jumped 65% and the currency depreciated 45%.