Sri Lanka's Election Commission Orders Second Round of Counting in Presidential Election

A security personnel checks documents of a voter at a polling station during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 21, 2024. (Reuters)

The Sri Lankan Election Commission initiates a second preference count for the presidential election, as no candidate achieved over 50% of the votes

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka on Sunday ordered a second preference count after no candidate secured over 50 per cent of the votes needed to win the presidential election.

Election Commission Chairman R M A L Rathnayake said that Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sajith Premadasa have secured maximum votes in the 2024 presidential election.

However, he said that as neither has secured more than 50 per cent vote, the second preference vote will be counted and added to these two candidates. He said the new president will be declared elected after the cumulative votes and preference votes are counted.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)