On Sunday, Sri Lanka elected the Marxist-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake as president. At 55, he leads a nation seeking recovery from its deepest economic crisis. Dissanayake, lacking the political lineage of his competitors, led the vote count from the outset, surpassing incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
After his victory, Dissanayake urged citizens to join him in “rewriting” the nation’s history following years of economic turmoil. His party, previously a minor player with less than 4% in the last parliamentary elections, experienced a surge in support due to the country’s economic hardships.
“This victory is ours,” Dissanayake declared. He highlighted the collective hope and expectation propelling the nation toward a new era.
President Wickremesinghe, who managed during the 2022 economic crisis under strict IMF policies, finished third with 17% of the votes. He recognized his efforts to stabilize the country and expressed confidence in Dissanayake’s leadership for future stability and growth.
Dissanayake, who secured 42.3% of the votes, will be sworn in Monday morning at the President Secretariat in Colombo. Premadasa followed with 32.8% in the first vote count. This election marked the first instance in Sri Lanka, requiring a second vote count after no candidate reached 50%.
Read: Anura Kumara Dissanayake Leads in Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election
