As the Indian Ocean island nation prepares for a Sep 21 vote, which will help it navigate its way out of a terrifying financial crisis, 39 candidates submitted nominations for Sri Lanka’s presidential election on Thursday ( Aug 15 ).
Sri Lanka’s second major election since it ran out of foreign resources, sending its business into disarray and compelled to default on its foreign debt in 2022.
” The Election Commission believes we will get the help of political parties, media, civic culture and the public to have a calm and clear poll”, its president, R M Ratnayake, said while accepting the nomination documents.
One of the highest-profile figures in history, two Buddhist monks, who registered with the electoral board to challenge the vote, in which about 17 million Sri Lankans are available to cast ballots, were among the 40 individuals.
Only 39 people showed up at the Election Commission on Thursday to send election applications and request its assent to begin strategies.