Sri Lanka election: Voters focus on daily struggles like food and debt over reform promises

The economy will be high on voters' minds as they go to the polls on Saturday for Sri Lanka's presidential election.
The country has come a long way since declaring bankrupcy in April 2022.
But critics say austerity measures unfairly target the poorest communities.
Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.
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[@Travel-cq9nk]

AKD will be the next President in Sri Lanka

[@RollerGuideX]

What is the key problem in Sri Lanka? I'd say it's corruption and lack of rule of law. Without fixing those two, nothing else will work And out of the contenders, only the NPP has the political will to drive towards that. With Ranil, come general elections we will have SLPP rogues back in the parliament. Lets not forget who's with Ranil these days... EVen his own people like Ravi, Sagala, Vajira are grade A crooks. Looking at SJB, the team is certainly better but Sajith is an absolute disaster. If elected, Jalani and Lakshman Fonseka will run Sajith. And we all know where that will end. NPP and AKD are certainly the more riskier an option due to them being the only "untested" lot. Should AKD and NPP deliver on their promises remains to be seen but if they do, that will be the best thing for Sri Lanka as that will put an end to the vicious cycle we had all these decades. For that flicker of an opportunity alone, I will vote for NPP. If they too can't do it, then we must accept corruption is something that can never be beaten and we might as well accept all that comes along with it.

[@ROSH1503]

@@RollerGuideX corruption has been accepted by people decades ago. We turned a blind eye to it and we have been apathetic! We have become non-resourceful as people, we depend on the government and infatuate ourselves with political identities. We have to be more resourceful as people and fight corruption! I’m afraid we are beyond repair as a nation! Our politicians have sold the country and its people!

[@RollerGuideX]

@@ROSH1503 For those of us still relatively young, have children's future at stake... AKD is the last hope. If he too let people down, then I too will leave SL along with the family. This is the last hope for some of us who have never been enslaved to party politics. For the country's sake I hope AKD and NPP delivers. Its certainly a tough task when the entire system is so corrupt....

[@starrynight43451]

@@RollerGuideX Ranil is responsible for bankruptcy as well. His debt mismanagement during 2015-19 is the key reason.

[@VirdanRach]

Is Corruption lullaby still a sellable rhetoric in Sri Lanka?

[@nomad5299]

@@VirdanRach yh, unlike India where politics is run by extremists who sell discrimination based on religion

[@thisurajayasinghe3145]

Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD) will be the next president of Sri Lanka ❤❤

[@mahiousgazi]

Sri Lankan should break out from the slavery of modi's hunger. Only thn this nation would be a great region in south asia.

[@lucifer_morning_star462]

@@mahiousgazi Slavery of Modi ? since when ? Modi Gave a lot of Money to help Sri lanka economy

[@ramikarandiv2006]

@@lucifer_morning_star462 US also gave lot of donations to Palestine, Venezuela, Iraq and Haiti.

[@anuradhaaberathna3636]

We trust Anura Kumara. He will be the next president.

[@Antidemonn]

Pinna hujja kollo hmdma rallta puka dunnalu😂

[@adne1819]

*please.. Sri Lanka🇱🇰 suspend/ cut diplomatic relations with Israel. like Bolivia, Belize, Colombia.*

[@charakaamayantha_ca9784]

We have complete faith on Anura Dissanayake

[@rizmiriyal8134]

AKD ❤

[@subaidhamoothedath8846]

Muslim power 💪💪💪💪💪esreil 🙏🙏plesteen 🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴🤲Iran 🇮🇷🇮🇷🇮🇷India 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳Muslim 🤲🤲🤲😭😭😭

[@Antidemonn]

Puka deepn😂

[@ltheekshana1055]

AKD❤NPP❤

[@kanchanaperera9072]

AKD 👍

[@DammikaThushari-x1f]

Akd of npp is clear winner nobody can stop him

[@PraveenKumar-gt7xi]

As long as Rajapaksas are in power there is no future for this island nation 😂😂

[@VirdanRach]

Utter Bullshit! Not a single presidential candidate simp can get even closer to him! Took the country to extremely new heights after eradicating the war! Highest economic growth reported in 2012! Study the depletion of Forex Reserves since 2015 to 2019! Parroting nonsense/ Hate speech not gonna do any good

[@GhostNima]

Anura kumara dissanayake ❤

[@nimeshperera9554]

AKD ❤️❤️❤️

[@charithdesilva7844]

Next government NPP for sure ❤

[@WarunaChamara-k3d]

AKD

[@nooneknows469]

Many foreign countries are looking to usurp Sri Lanka's resources , including what some call ' cheap labor ' : the resources of the land MUST be made accountable to the people and all contracts with foreign plunderers of the people's land and it's resources must be accounted and published , making it available for transparent non-corrupt accountability. What are the intentions of the incoming elected government of sri Lanka? Keeping the people satisfied with food and jobs are NOT substitutes for accountability of the above-mentioned.

[@rsdtraju8743]

AKD is only hope for srilanka

[@diltvjunior8629]

We need to Anura Kumara Disanayaka , definitely he will win

[@Herath-zr5by]

NPP /AKD ❤❤❤❤

[@chethigane1493]

Foreign channels always show poverty of Sri Lanka,

[@jsporttime_50]

Is there any newspaper published by Al Jazeera?

[@ifazajm]

AKD is our choice 🧭🧭🧭

[@gayangaamarasekara9911]

AKD will get a heartache in few months 😂😂😂

[@drdarshiniannadezoysa980]

CBSL Governor mafmde the country bankrupt. This is polite

[@mohamedanfas6171]

We are expecting more analysis about Sri Lankan political overview from Al-Jazeera to implement our decision

[@DevinsShaggyswithgames]

Sri Lankans 👇

[@Antidemonn]

Thanx for showing the true situation

[@amilaperera1]

We are waiting for the victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake

[@MrSleeping]

As per my prediction, for the first time in Sri Lanka, the country will shift to a left-wing party. All the candidates from the southern parties are corrupt, so the next president will come from the left-wing party, NPP. The candidate is Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD).

[@shaznanzm648]

Anura Kumara is our Hope ❤❤❤

[@dmr208]

The game is to determine who will take 2nd and 3rd place. The 1st place has already been decided Its AKD

[@shreyanshmishra6348]

Still srilanka is in better condition than pakistan 😁

[@sanjayathalpavila5042]

Inflation is 0.5...🤣🤣🤣in different word. Who is the information provider to Al Jazeera..

[@AinzWoolGown]

It is the percentage rate of change

[@Antidemonn]

Or u hv no idea about numbers

[@Muslimasrilank]

Akd is the hope

[@silvag9383]

AKD 🥰🧭1️⃣

[@roshanperera9646]

Sajith

[@amilaperera1]

The looser

[@DemonSalvatore-mi4jn]

Ranil is the one who ended the crisis and he must be the next president.

[@amilaperera1]

He is one of corrupted politicians who contributed lot to this economic crisis. Ha haaaa. Clear majority victory for Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

[@Antidemonn]

Runil is dealing w national debt we never took out very well. He can run this country

[@MrSleeping]

lol.. he is corrupted person

[@MDN32808]

Ranil next president

[@DARK_ARROW-j3d]

Anura Kumara Disanayaka 🧭❤️‍🔥

[@silvag9383]

One and only AKD 🧭✅

[@motivationalspeaker9801]

AKD❤

[@keerthinuwan]

AKD❤

[@greenstones5587]

AKD ❤

[@rameshsilva8212]

AKD ❤

[@DilshanMPerera_2]

AKD❤