Election crucial for Sri Lanka's future: President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the Presidential elections scheduled to be held later this year will determine the island nation’s success and failure rather than the individual triumphs or losses, according to a media report on June 12.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the Presidential elections scheduled to be held later this year will determine the island nation's success and failure rather than the individual triumphs or losses, according to a media report on June 12.

Last month, Sri Lanka's Elections Commission said the Presidential election would be conducted between September 17 and October 16.

Addressing a policy reform discussion on June 11, Mr. Wickremesinghe (75) said, "The outcome of the upcoming election is not solely about my personal victory or defeat; it will determine whether the country succeeds or fails." Mr. Wickremesinghe, who has been serving the balance term of the ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa since mid-July 2022, hasn’t made any public statement on his bid for re-election.

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"This election isn’t merely about selecting individuals but about choosing the most effective system for our country’s progress. If you believe in the merits of the current approach, let us proceed accordingly," the President's Media Division quoted him as saying.

Mr. Wickremesinghe also underscored the importance of implementing robust economic reforms to ensure long-term prosperity in the cash-strapped country, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

The government under Mr. Wickremesinghe has set in place hard economic reforms as dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.