The past few years have not been easy on Sri Lanka, but the Southeast Asian island — and its people — are on the upswing.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, 75, a six-time former prime minister, is a political survivor. His elevation to the presidency in 2022, after the overthrow of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, plucked him out of irrelevance and demonstrated his formidable bargaining powers.

Over the past two years, Daham Piyasena has lived through momentous times: the worst economic crisis in Sri Lanka’s history, which led to unprecedented public protests that forced the resignation of the island nation’s president,

Sri Lankans who usually vote along religious and ethnic lines will be keeping the state of the economy in mind when they vote Saturday on a new president.

Voting ends in Sri Lanka's presidential election as it seeks to recover from economic crisis and political upheaval

Thirty-eight candidates are running for president of the Asian nation of Sri Lanka, which is still recovering from a 2022 economic collapse. Its incumbent president faces a tight race.