Colombo, Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the presidential election as an independent candidate, his aide said on Sunday.
United National Party Vice President Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed that the presidential election will definitely take place and Wickremesinghe, 75, will contest the election as an independent candidate, News 1st reported.
"Only one leader has the knowledge to solve Sri Lanka's economic crisis. It is Ranil Wickremesinghe. He has proven it by his actions," he said, quoted by the news portal.
On Sunday, Election Commission chairman R M A L Ratnayake said the electoral body would be legally empowered after July 17 to announce the date of elections.
Ratnayake added that the commission will announce the date of the next presidential elections before the end of this month.
The Electoral Commission said in May that the presidential election would be held between September 17 and October 16.
Ratnayake said the commission is currently in the process of putting the finishing touches on the 2024 electoral register, which will be the basis of the elections. Under the revised list, more than 17 million would be eligible to vote in the elections, officials said.
In April 2022, the island nation declared its first sovereign default since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The unprecedented financial crisis led President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign from office in 2022 amid civil unrest over his inability to manage the crisis.
In July 2022, Wickremesinghe was elected by parliament to become interim president for Rajapaksa's remaining term.
Wickremesinghe, also finance minister, has not made any public statement about his candidacy for re-election.
"This election is not simply about selecting people, but about choosing the most effective system for the progress of our country. If you believe in the merits of the current approach, let us proceed accordingly," the President's Media Division quoted above.
Wickremesinghe's government has implemented tough economic reforms dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
President Wickremesinghe said last month that his government had finalized in Paris a long-delayed $5.8 billion debt restructuring deal with its bilateral lenders, including India and China, to meet a key condition of an IMF bailout.
United National Party Vice President Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed that the presidential election will definitely take place and Wickremesinghe, 75, will contest the election as an independent candidate, News 1st reported.
"Only one leader has the knowledge to solve Sri Lanka's economic crisis. It is Ranil Wickremesinghe. He has proven it by his actions," he said, quoted by the news portal.
On Sunday, Election Commission chairman R M A L Ratnayake said the electoral body would be legally empowered after July 17 to announce the date of elections.
Ratnayake added that the commission will announce the date of the next presidential elections before the end of this month.
The Electoral Commission said in May that the presidential election would be held between September 17 and October 16.
Ratnayake said the commission is currently in the process of putting the finishing touches on the 2024 electoral register, which will be the basis of the elections. Under the revised list, more than 17 million would be eligible to vote in the elections, officials said.
In April 2022, the island nation declared its first sovereign default since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The unprecedented financial crisis led President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign from office in 2022 amid civil unrest over his inability to manage the crisis.
In July 2022, Wickremesinghe was elected by parliament to become interim president for Rajapaksa's remaining term.
Wickremesinghe, also finance minister, has not made any public statement about his candidacy for re-election.
"This election is not simply about selecting people, but about choosing the most effective system for the progress of our country. If you believe in the merits of the current approach, let us proceed accordingly," the President's Media Division quoted above.
Wickremesinghe's government has implemented tough economic reforms dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
President Wickremesinghe said last month that his government had finalized in Paris a long-delayed $5.8 billion debt restructuring deal with its bilateral lenders, including India and China, to meet a key condition of an IMF bailout.