Sri Lankans go to the polls this weekend in the country’s first election since defaulting on piles of sovereign debt in 2022, when the nation plunged into its worst economic crisis across 70 years of independence. Off the coast of Colombo, the capital city, round-the-clock construction offers a possible glimpse of the future.

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,

Sri Lanka’s economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, bolstering sentiment ahead of a crucial election that could affect policy as the country recovers from its worst crisis in decades.