Wickremesinghe is the highest-ranking opposition leader to be detained in the ongoing anti-corruption drive launched by the new leftist administration in Lanka.
At Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Lecture in Delhi, he underlined that Sri Lanka needs to move away from debt-driven economic model, also spoke about pending economic partnership pact.
Voting is underway at 13,134 polling stations in Sri Lanka, began at 7 am and will close at 4 pm local time. The counting of votes is expected to begin at 9:30 pm local time.
Voters in Sri Lanka have to rank up to 3 candidates in order of preference. Candidate with 50% votes is declared winner; if nobody gets clear majority, race will boil down to top two candidates.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, credited with fixing the nation’s economy, is up against 37 other candidates in Saturday's presidential poll.
The elections, with 39 candidates in fray, will be watched by India, China & West. Its location makes it key player in India’s Neighbourhood First policy & broader vision for Indian Ocean.
With just one seat in parliament, Wickremesinghe needs support of the SLPP party, which counts ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa & his brother as key members, to be a stronger contender.
Sri Lanka owes over $10 billion to its bilateral lenders, shows govt data. China, though not part of Official Creditors Committee, agrees to 'same terms' for debt it's owed by Colombo.
The MRCC has a sub-centre in Hambantota, the location of a Chinese built and operated port. Cntre is significant in context of growing rivalry between India and China in the region.
Other key promises in the budget include AI- and other technology-enabled services for farmers and continuation of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, which will have the same outlay.
IRIS Lavan was in the region for the International Fleet Review held last month and ‘sought urgent docking in Kochi citing technical issues,’ it is learnt.
The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.
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