Sri Lanka's 2024 Presidential Election (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Aug. 30, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IN12415 |
| Report Type |
Insight |
| Authors |
Colin Willett |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The South Asian island state of Sri Lanka is scheduled to hold a presidential election on September 21,
2024, its first since protests fueled by a severe economic crisis forced former President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa to resign and flee the country in July 2022. Some observers say this crisis has sparked
widespread disillusionment with Sri Lanka’s political establishment and the economic reforms the
government undertook to address it, which have increased taxes and the cost of living. Thirty-nine
candidates registered to run for president, and polling suggests candidates from outside the country’s two
dominant political parties are more competitive than they have been in the last two decades.
The Biden Administration “aims to support Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions, encourage its economic
development, counter terrorism,” and work with the government to “promote a free, open, and prosperous
Indo-Pacific region.” Congress has shaped U.S. policy toward Sri Lanka and has focused on promoting
accountability following the end of the country’s civil war in 2009, protecting human rights,
strengthening democracy, and responding to the strategic implications of Sri Lanka’s growing relationship
with China. Congress may consider whether the election is conducted in a safe, transparent, and inclusive
manner, and whether a new and potentially more democratic government offers opportunities to expand
U.S.-Sri Lanka cooperation.
