×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

Polls close in first Sri Lanka election since economic collapse

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

People wait in a queue to cast their ballots at a polling station during voting in Sri Lanka's presidential election in Colombo on September 21, 2024. Cash-strapped Sri Lanka began voting for its next president September 21 in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis. [AFP]

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka voted for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

Turnout was at nearly 70 percent an hour before polling stations closed at 4:00 pm (1030 GMT), an election commission official said, citing provisional figures.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
Fact‑first reporting that puts you at the heart of the newsroom. Subscribe for full access.
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in
Basketball
Thunder plot Equity Bank raid as Premier League tips off
By Ben Ahenda 3 hrs ago
Boxing
Future Boxing Championships offer Kenyan boxers lessons
Athletics
Why Faith Kipyegon is making waves after winning 10km debut
Sports
Recall times of Shikanda, Stars' diminutive defender