^{A polling station in Mannar this morning.}

Polls have closed across the island and counting has begun in the 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election.

As of 2PM local time, turnout had been reported to exceed 50% across the North-East.

There were no serious incidents of violence reported, but one Tamil youth was reported arrested in Jaffna earlier today after he reportedly tore up his ballot paper in a sign of protest.

In a wide-ranging interview with News Minute journalist Padma Rao Sundarji, Jaffna MP CV Wigneswaran slammed MA Sumanthiran for his endorsement of Sajith Premadasa claiming that this was “expecting personal benefit”.

“I think he has been promised a ministership. In any case, his heart was never with the Tamil national cause. See, I was born and bred in Colombo and can yet empathise with the north and east. Sumanthiran studied in Jaffna and still can’t empathise with them” Wigneswaran stated.

Millions of Sri Lankans have turned out today to vote today in the island’s 9^th presidential election, which is the first open presidential election since the country’s economic collapse in 2022.

Early polling indicated that across the island approximately 50% of people turned out to vote. 

A special exhibition was held in Nallur, Jaffna this week to commemorate the political wing leader of the LTTE, Lt Col Thileepan, who fasted until death to protest against the repression of Tamils 37 years ago.

A special exhibition was held in Nallur, Jaffna this week to commemorate the political wing leader of the LTTE, Lt Col Thileepan, who fasted until death to protest against the repression of Tamils 37 years ago.

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Dulip Samaraweera has been handed a 20-year ban from holding any position within Australian cricket, following allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female player which was described as “utterly reprehensible”. 

The decision by Cricket Australia's Conduct Commission comes after a swift investigation into the misconduct, which was deemed a serious breach of the organization’s code of conduct.

Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran, who was put forward as the “Tamil common candidate”, has garnered support from a range of Tamil political parties and civil society organisations.

Ariyanenthiran, who had previously served as a Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa between 2004 and 2015, launched his campaign with the hopes of representing Tamil issues to both to the Sinhala South as well as the international community.

As we approach Sri Lanka’s presidential election on 21 September, Tamil Guardian takes a closer look at the leading candidates ahead of Saturday's polls.

As we approach Sri Lanka’s presidential election on 21 September, Tamil Guardian takes a closer look at the leading candidates ahead of Saturday's polls.

Ranil Wickremesinghe

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s current President and leader of the United National Party, has served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2015, 2015 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019. In the midst of the Aragayala protests of 2022, which saw the ousting of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, he was appointed Prime Minister and subsequent to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, he assumed the presidency, despite holding but a single seat in Sri Lanka’s parliament.