Marxist-leaning Dissanayaka becomes Sri Lanka's next president
Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake defeated opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe to become Sri Lanka’s next president on Sunday, according to the country's election commission.
Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake won Sri Lanka’s presidential election, the Election Commission announced Sunday, after voters rejected the old political guard that has been widely accused of pushing the South Asian nation toward economic ruin.
Dissanayake, whose pro-working class and anti-political elite campaigning made him popular among youth, secured victory over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over the country two years ago after its economy hit bottom.
Dissanayake received 5,740,179 votes, followed by Premadasa with 4,530,902, Election Commission data showed.
The election held Saturday was crucial as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
“This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work, but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory belongs to all of us,” Dissanayake said in a post on X.
It was a strong showing for Dissanayake, who won just over 3% of votes in a previous presidential election in 2019, and suggests voters are fatigued with the old guard.
The NPP grouping also includes academics, civil society movements, artists, lawyers and students.
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