Dr Pradeep Pieris

Senior Lecturer
University of Colombo

Sri Lanka’s presidential election took place on 21 September 2024, with the campaign dominated by three key candidates: incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, running as an independent; Sajith Premadasa, leader of the main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya; and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, representing the National People’s Power. In this episode, ISAS Research Fellow, Dr Rajni Gamage, speaks to Dr Pradeep Pieris, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Colombo, about the politics behind the presidential campaigns and the challenges that lie ahead.