Sri Lankans will today cast their votes in a pivotal presidential election, the first since an unprecedented economic crisis brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy.
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00:00I'm here at one of the main hubs of action in Colombo in this presidential election.
00:08From here, ballot papers and boxes have been distributed to polling booths across the city
00:12and there are thousands across the country, where today Sri Lankans will cast their vote
00:17in a presidential election that has the potential to alter the course of this country's future
00:22as it continues to emerge from an unprecedented economic crisis two years ago.
00:28Now, given the mass protests that that crisis unleashed, security has been beefed up for
00:34this election.
00:3563,000 police officers have been deployed at polling booths and counting centres like
00:41this one across the country and 11,000 military members remain on standby to assist if the
00:47election commissioner-general requests it.
00:50Many things are unique about this election, its timing, its relative peacefulness and
00:55the fact there are three main candidates emerging as front-runners.
01:00Another unique factor is the length of the ballot paper.
01:0339 names are listed, a record number, but all of them are men.
01:08And many women, who bore the brunt of those severe shortages of essentials two years ago
01:13and continue to suffer under high goods prices, want a candidate who they think will make
01:18their lives easier.
01:20Times the milk powder was, I think, it's triple from the before price.
01:28So we reduced use that one.
01:32If we can't buy, we give up that.
01:37I have hope if we change this government, we can see another side of this.