Sri Lankans voted on Sept 21 in an election to pick a president who will face the task of bolstering the country's fragile economic recovery following its worst financial crisis in decades.
The election is predicted to be a close contest between President Ranil Wickremesinghe, main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Marxist-leaning challenger Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Mr Dissanayake narrowly led in one recent opinion poll.
Voting closed at 4pm (6.30pm Singapore time) and counting started afterwards, with results expected to be announced by the Election Commission on Sept 22. Postal votes were to be counted first, senior commission official Saman Sri Ratnayake told Reuters.
The country's election system allows voters to cast three preferential votes for their chosen candidates. If no candidate wins 50 per cent in the first count, a second round of counting determines the winner between the two top candidates, using the preferential votes. Analysts say this will likely be the case, given the close nature of the election.
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin September 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin September 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
The many sides of library pioneer Hedwig Anuar and other authors
Those who know the National Library's former director Hedwig Anuar, 95, as a pioneer of Singapore's library system or women's rights activism will glimpse a different side of her in her newly published early writings.
Chef Jamie Oliver pulls children's book after indigenous criticism
British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (right) has announced he will no longer sell his children's book, after coming under fire for what indigenous critics called \"erasure, trivialisation and stereotyping\".
Dua Lipa cancels Indonesia leg of tour over unsafe staging
British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa has cancelled the Indonesian leg of her Asian tour, citing unsafe staging.
Actress Sheila Sim undergoes hair transplant procedure to fix 'prominent bald spot'
Local actress-model Sheila Sim is feeling less stress over her tresses after undergoing a two-day hair transplant procedure.
Blackpink's Lisa keeps it short and sweet at Marquee
Below disco balls and flashing stage lights, Lisa from K-pop girl group Blackpink made a glittering appearance in the early hours of Nov 10 at Marquee Singapore nightclub in Marina Bay Sands.
Invisible Habitudes returns to Singapore stage with stronger cohesion
After almost six years, choreographer and The Human Expression (T.H.E) Dance Company's founding artistic director Kuik Swee Boon's Invisible Habitudes returned to the Singapore stage, with a mix of original cast members and new performers, but surprisingly with an even stronger sense of cohesion.
Tech Talks foster conversations around technology and storytelling
The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) continues building out conversations around the intersection of technology and storytelling.
SSO's most exciting and memorable Beethoven concert yet
The idea of a concert comprising wholly works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is hardly new, yet a fully packed Victoria Concert Hall showed that the great German composer still has a special cachet among concertgoers.
Singapore is a city of 'future past,' says Paolo Giordano
The Italian author is among the 300 people who have been invited to speak or conduct workshops at the festival
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
Comparing prices, researching products - parents can help their kids learn how to shop responsibly
