COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's first presidential election since an economic crisis tipped the government into turmoil two years ago will focus attention on whether the unelected incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe can hold on to his position.
United National Party's Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted in the political upheaval of 2022 and the 75-year-old now faces three main competitors -- of whom opposition leader Sajith Premadasa is the most popular -- in an election next month. A total of 39 candidates have entered the race to win the five-year term.
