Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament on Wednesday that the presidential election and the parliamentary election will both be held in 2024.

The president made this statement while delivering a special statement in parliament on several pressing matters, including the crisis faced by cricket, one of Sri Lanka's most popular sports.

The president denied allegations that he would postpone elections.

He added that the government will hold provincial council and local government elections in 2025.

The country's elections commission postponed local government elections earlier this year indefinitely after the government declared inadequate funding available to hold elections.

State Minister for Plantations, Enterprise Reforms and Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has announced that a dedicated allocation of 10 billion rupees ($30.5 million) has been reserved for potential future elections.

(Cover: Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe attends the country's 75th Independence Day celebrations at Galle Face Green in Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 4, 2023. /CFP)