Voters in Sri Lanka cast their ballots on Saturday to elect a new president in an election seen as a referendum on the austerity plan approved by the International Monetary Fund, following the unprecedented economic collapse and financial crisis the country faced.

Polling stations closed at 4 PM GMT, with turnout reaching approximately 70% an hour before closing, according to preliminary data from an election commission official.

It is worth noting that the record voter turnout for a presidential election in Sri Lanka was 83.7% in the 2019 elections.

The current president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, faces a significant challenge to remain in office, as he seeks to continue the measures that have contributed to stabilizing the economy and ending months of shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.