Voters have taken to thousands of polls across the island country to participate in Sri Lanka’s presidential election.

Over 17 million voters have the chance on Saturday to choose a desired president from among a record 38 presidential candidates.

The South Asian country was hit by an economic crisis that saw it default on its international loans in 2022. The election serves as a referendum on the unpopular austerity plan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

Shortages of food and fuel then led to protests forcing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country in July that year.

All of the 38 presidential candidates taking part in the crucial contest are focused on rebuilding the country’s ailing economy. However, only three of the presidential candidates are seen as serious contenders.

First is the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe,75, who took over from Rajapaksa. He has been making efforts to turn the economy around.

After him, there is the opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, 57. He is the son of Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was the president of Sri Lanka from 1989 to 1993.

Leftist Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55, is the third serious contender. The current MP is the man who leads the party that launched two uprisings against the state in the 1970s and 80s.

Dissanayake has promised tough anti-corruption measures and bigger welfare schemes for the poor.

Early opinion polls claimed Dissanayake, popularly known as AKD, was leading in voting preferences at 36 percent, followed by Premadasa, as Wickremesinghe stands in third place.

In Sri Lanka, the election system allows voters to cast three preferential votes for their chosen candidates, with the candidate securing 50 percent of the votes or more to be declared winner. If no candidate secures a majority in the first round, then preferential votes are tallied for the top two candidates to determine the winner.

A good turnout is expected, in line with Sri Lanka’s record of high voter participation in every general election. The last presidential election in 2019 saw a voter turnout of 83.72 percent. Voting, which started at 7 am local time, will continue until 4 pm.