Ranil Wickremesinghe to fight presidential election as independent

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday declared his candidacy to contest the presidential election in September as an independent candidate by depositing money to contest the upcoming polls.

Earlier in the day, the island nation’s election commission announced that presidential polls would be held on September 21, ending the months-long speculation over the key contest, which will likely determine the future of economic reforms in the cash-strapped country.

This will be the first election in Sri Lanka after it plunged into economic bankruptcy in 2022.

President’s Counsel Ronald Perera placed a cash deposit on behalf of Wickremesinghe, 75, as an independent candidate for the presidential election, the state-run Daily News newspaper reported.

The president will contest as an independent candidate, Perera told the media after placing the bonds on Wickremesinghe’s behalf, the NewsFirst news portal reported.