At least five separate murders have taken place in the Colombo area of the last day, as gun violence increased around Sri Lanka’s capital in the run up to the presidential election.

There were at least five separate shootings, all of which resulted in the deaths of those targeted by unidentified assailants.

Sri Lanka’s presidential election could mark a significant milestone, as it might be the first time in history that a single candidate does not secure over 50% of the popular vote.

If so, it could make the outcome of the polls dependent on preferential voting, something that has never happened before on the island.

The Preferential Voting System Explained

Responding to a letter by Sri Lankan Police warning of deaths threats against the Tamil presidential candidate Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran, Tamil lawmaker MA Sumanthiran lashed out against the police and called on Ariyanenthiran to step down from his campaign.

The Tamil common candidate for Sri Lanka's presidential elections, Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran, received overwhelming support during a rally held in Nallur, Jaffna, yesterday.

(Image courtesy: Vijitha Herath Facebook Page)

Senior member of the National People's Power (NPP), Vijitha Herath, reiterating his party's commitment to preserving Sri Lanka’s unitary state and offering privileged protection to Buddhism under an NPP-led government, just days before voting in presidential elections begins.

Sri Lanka’s State Finance Minister, Shehan Semasinghe warned of an imminent economic collapse if parliament is dissolved and a third review of the much-needed International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan is not completed.

Semasinghe stressed that abandoning the deal would jeopardize Sri Lanka's recovery, potentially dragging the country into a crisis similar to the one it faced in 2022.

As Sri Lanka approaches its presidential election on September 21, a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) highlights the stakes for the millions pushed into poverty by recent economic reforms.

The Tamil families of the disappeared have called on the Tamil community to vote for the common candidate Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran as Sinhala political leaders have failed to address the grievances of the Tamil nation. 

Leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, called on Tamils to boycott the upcoming presidential polls, stating that doing so would be a “rejection of the system” and calls the legitimacy of the Sri Lankan state into question.

In his interview with the Tamil Guardian, Ponnambalam spoke about the fundamental racism of the Sri Lankan state, why none of the leading Sinhala candidates are worthy of Tamil votes and why the Tamil candidate does not have his party’s support.

 See the full interview and transcript below.