Today's Edition
COLOMBO (AFP)
Sri Lanka was voting for its next president on Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is fighting an uphill battle for a fresh mandate to continue belt-tightening measures that stabilised the economy and ended months of food, fuel and medicine shortages.
"I've taken this country out of bankruptcy," Wickremesinghe, 75, said after casting his ballot in the morning.
"I will now deliver Sri Lanka a developed economy, developed social system and developed political system."
'Wild Elephants'
A total of 39 people are contesting the vote, including one 79-year-old candidate who remains on the ballot despite dying of a heart attack last month.
More than 17 million people are eligible to vote in the election, with more than 63,000 police deployed to guard polling booths and counting centres.
"We also have anti-riot squads on standby in case of any trouble, but so far everything is peaceful," police spokesman Nihal Talduwa said.
"In some areas, we have had to deploy police to ensure polling booths are safe from wild animals, especially wild elephants."
Dozens of people were lining up outside polling stations in Colombo before voting began, with a heavy security presence across the capital.
Polls close at 4:00 pm (1030 GMT), with counting to begin on Saturday evening.
A result is expected on Sunday, but an official outcome could be delayed if the contest is close.
Schools were closed on Friday to be converted into polling stations, which will be staffed by more than 200,000 public servants deployed to conduct the vote.
