evidence: [1] On 22 August, the Supreme Court held that by postponing the local elections – ostensibly for lack of funds – the president and other officials were guilty of "arbitrary and unlawful" conduct that violated voters’ constitutional rights. "Sri Lanka court convicts president over vote delay", Agence France-Presse, 22 August 2024. In the opinion of various interviewees, the cancellation pandered to fears among businesspeople and diplomats that the expected victory of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, running under the banner of the National People’s Power, might weaken the government’s legitimacy and hinder finalisation of the IMF agreement. Crisis Group interviews, diplomats, politicians and lawyers, Colombo, March 2023. Likewise, the lack of international pressure for fresh parliamentary elections stems in part from the belief among many diplomats and development partners that Wickremesinghe is the only politician who can see the IMF agreement through. Crisis Group interviews, March-April 2023.