Anura Kumara Dissanayake Wins Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election in Historic Second Round.

Sri Lanka:

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a left-leaning politician, has emerged victorious in Sri Lanka’s presidential election after a historic second round of counting. In the first round, held on Saturday, Dissanayake secured 42.31% of the vote, while his closest rival, Sajith Premadasa, garnered 32.76%. Since no candidate achieved the required 50% threshold, a second count was necessary to tally voters’ second and third choices.

With a total of 5,740,179 votes, Dissanayake defeated Premadasa, who received 4,530,902 votes. Dissanayake’s campaign focused on promises of good governance and strong anti-corruption measures, resonating with voters amid ongoing demands for systemic change following the country’s economic crisis and mass protests that ousted former leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022.

“This victory belongs to us all,” Dissanayake stated on the social media platform X, emphasizing unity among Sri Lankans. He pledged to revitalize the manufacturing, agriculture, and IT sectors, and to maintain a deal with the International Monetary Fund aimed at alleviating the country’s economic difficulties, while protecting the most vulnerable populations from austerity impacts.

This election marks a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s political landscape, as it is the first time since 1982 that the presidency was decided after a second round of counting. The election was noted for its peaceful nature, with 17 million Sri Lankans eligible to vote. However, a curfew was briefly imposed for public safety late Saturday night.

Dissanayake’s victory is particularly notable given the historical baggage of his party, the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which engaged in armed uprisings in the past. His recent efforts to moderate the party’s hard-left stance, alongside his alliance with the National People’s Party, gained traction during the 2022 Aragalaya protests.

Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe, who received 17% of the vote, congratulated Dissanayake, stating, “With much love and respect for this beloved nation, I hand over its future to the new president.”