Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s strong showing reveals voter weariness with leadership that has led to a national economic crisis and crushing hardship for many people.

There are 17 million eligible voters, and final results are expected today. They will show whether Sri Lankans approve of Wickremesinghe's leadership of a fragile recovery, including restructuring Sri Lanka's debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout program after it defaulted in 2022.

Election officials carry ballot boxes a day before the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sept. 20, 2024. Sri Lanka's presidential election will take place on Sept. 21 with over 17 million registered voters to elect the South Asian country's president for the next five years.