Crisis-hit Sri Lanka's poor hope new president will change their fortunes

W.A. Jayantha, 59, a fish seller, speaks with a customer at his shop along a street in Thotalanga, Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage/File Photo

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan housewife Lankika Dilrukshi says she is tired of the daily struggle needed to provide for her children. On Saturday, she is voting in a presidential poll she sees as key to securing a better future for herself, and her nation.

Dilrukshi, 31, is one of the millions of people barely able to make ends meet since the island nation's economy plunged into its worst financial crisis in decades in 2022.