In Colombo, National People's Power (NPP) leader and presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has concluded his campaign for the upcoming presidential elections in Sri Lanka exuding confidence in the former Marxist party's first elections since its first formation in 1965.
The campaign for the presidential elections in the island nation ended on Wednesday, 48 hours before the elections. The country will go to the polls on September 21.
"Our victory is assured, we will definitely form a government by winning the presidency on the morning of the 22nd," Dissanayake said at his last, well-attended rally in Nugegoda, a populous suburb of Colombo.
Dissanayake said his NPP would achieve total governance and social transformation after his victory.
“We have had incredible support from all sections of the people, including the Tamil and Muslim minorities. Ours will be a true Sri Lankan government that had only been a dream during our years of hard struggles."
His Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has formed the National People's Power (NPP) to bury the unpleasant past of the JVP that had led bloody rebellions in 1971 and again between 1987 and 1990 to overthrow democratic governments.
The country is now under a two-day campaign pause ahead of Saturday's election. Campaigning is not allowed today or tomorrow.
A new president will be elected in Sri Lanka for a five-year term, the first election since the country's worst economic crisis in 73 years.
Current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, one of his three favorites, said during his rally on Wednesday that the current economic recovery program under the IMF reform was of utmost importance to prevent the country from falling into another bankruptcy.
"I want to build a future for the younger generations to ensure that Sri Lanka is not dependent on borrowing money and going into debt," the 75-year-old leader said.
He said both Dissanayake's policies and those of the other front-runner, Sajith Premadasa, would lead to another economic crisis. The people should vote wisely to sustain economic recovery.
Premadasa said at his last rally that he was confident of his victory by a majority of more than 2 million votes.
It would usher in a new era of economic prosperity. He would give concessions to people affected by the economic crisis.
Voting will take place between 7am and 5pm on Saturday at more than 13,400 polling stations with more than 17 million of the island's 21 million residents as registered voters.
The campaign for the presidential elections in the island nation ended on Wednesday, 48 hours before the elections. The country will go to the polls on September 21.
"Our victory is assured, we will definitely form a government by winning the presidency on the morning of the 22nd," Dissanayake said at his last, well-attended rally in Nugegoda, a populous suburb of Colombo.
Dissanayake said his NPP would achieve total governance and social transformation after his victory.
“We have had incredible support from all sections of the people, including the Tamil and Muslim minorities. Ours will be a true Sri Lankan government that had only been a dream during our years of hard struggles."
His Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has formed the National People's Power (NPP) to bury the unpleasant past of the JVP that had led bloody rebellions in 1971 and again between 1987 and 1990 to overthrow democratic governments.
The country is now under a two-day campaign pause ahead of Saturday's election. Campaigning is not allowed today or tomorrow.
A new president will be elected in Sri Lanka for a five-year term, the first election since the country's worst economic crisis in 73 years.
Current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, one of his three favorites, said during his rally on Wednesday that the current economic recovery program under the IMF reform was of utmost importance to prevent the country from falling into another bankruptcy.
"I want to build a future for the younger generations to ensure that Sri Lanka is not dependent on borrowing money and going into debt," the 75-year-old leader said.
He said both Dissanayake's policies and those of the other front-runner, Sajith Premadasa, would lead to another economic crisis. The people should vote wisely to sustain economic recovery.
Premadasa said at his last rally that he was confident of his victory by a majority of more than 2 million votes.
It would usher in a new era of economic prosperity. He would give concessions to people affected by the economic crisis.
Voting will take place between 7am and 5pm on Saturday at more than 13,400 polling stations with more than 17 million of the island's 21 million residents as registered voters.