Anura Kumara Dissanayake wins Sri Lanka Presidential Poll
Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been declared the winner of Sri Lanka's Presidential Election, national Election Commission of the island announced Sunday
Colombo: Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been declared the winner of Sri Lanka's Presidential Election, national Election Commission of the island announced Sunday.
The Marxist-leaning Dissanayake, 55, leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) party and leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance. He won the election with 42.31% of the vote, the Election Commission of Sri Lanka said.
He is the 9th Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also known by his initials AKD, was Born on November 24, 1968.
Dissanayake, who does not possess political lineage like some of his rivals in the presidential election, led from start to finish during the counting of ballots, knocking out incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa to become Sri Lanka's new president.
Sri Lanka's president-elect on Sunday invited his compatriots to help him "rewrite" history in the cash-strapped island nation after winning a vote coloured by discontent over an unprecedented financial crisis.
Dissanayake, the once-fringe leader, whose party won less than 4% of the vote in parliamentary elections four years ago, saw a surge of support as the economic meltdown forced widespread hardships upon Sri Lankans.
"The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true," he said in a statement shortly after the announcement.
"This victory belongs to all of us," he added. "Millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history."
Outgoing President Wickremesinghe — who took office at the peak of the 2022 economic collapse and imposed tough austerity policies per the terms of an IMF bailout — was a distant third in the contest with 17% of the vote.
"History will judge my efforts, but I can confidently say that I did my best to stabilise the country during one of its darkest periods," he said in a statement.
He congratulated Dissanayaka on the win and said he was "confident" the politician would "steer Sri Lanka on a path of continued growth and stability."
Dissanayaka will be sworn in today morning at the colonial-era President Secretariat in Colombo, election commission officials said.
[With inputs from AFP]
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