Economy front of mind for more than 17 million Sri Lankan voters

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Sri Lankans will today cast their votes in a pivotal presidential election, the first since an unprecedented economic crisis brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy.

Transcript

00:00I'm here at one of the main hubs of action in Colombo in this presidential election.

00:08From here, ballot papers and boxes have been distributed to polling booths across the city

00:12and there are thousands across the country, where today Sri Lankans will cast their vote

00:17in a presidential election that has the potential to alter the course of this country's future

00:22as it continues to emerge from an unprecedented economic crisis two years ago.

00:28Now, given the mass protests that that crisis unleashed, security has been beefed up for

00:34this election.

00:3563,000 police officers have been deployed at polling booths and counting centres like

00:41this one across the country and 11,000 military members remain on standby to assist if the

00:47election commissioner-general requests it.

00:50Many things are unique about this election, its timing, its relative peacefulness and

00:55the fact there are three main candidates emerging as front-runners.

01:00Another unique factor is the length of the ballot paper.

01:0339 names are listed, a record number, but all of them are men.

01:08And many women, who bore the brunt of those severe shortages of essentials two years ago

01:13and continue to suffer under high goods prices, want a candidate who they think will make

01:18their lives easier.

01:20Times the milk powder was, I think, it's triple from the before price.

01:28So we reduced use that one.

01:32If we can't buy, we give up that.

01:37I have hope if we change this government, we can see another side of this.

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