Anura Kumara Dissanayake may lack the political lineage of some of his rivals, but his leftist policies to help the poor and stirring speeches have made him a leading candidate in Sri Lanka's presidential election on Saturday.

Sri Lankans will elect a new president in the first election since mass protests sparked by the country's worst-ever economic crisis unseated the leader in 2022. Saturday's election is widely regarded as a referendum on economic reforms meant to put the country on the road to recovery.

Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country.