Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the 55-year-old Marxist chief of the Folks’s Liberation Entrance (JVP), has emerged victorious in Sri Lanka’s presidential election, securing 42.31% of the vote, as confirmed by official outcomes on Sunday. Dissanayake, a distinguished determine inside the JVP, a left-wing coalition, declared victory earlier than the complete outcomes had been launched, sharing a celebratory message on X, the place he acknowledged, “This victory belongs to all of us.”
He’s anticipated to be sworn in on Monday at Colombo’s Presidential Secretariat, a logo of the nation’s colonial heritage. His rise to energy is seen as a rejection of the entrenched political institution, which many blame for Sri Lanka’s ongoing financial turmoil. The JVP’s robust efficiency represents a major turnaround for the social gathering, which had secured solely 3% of the vote within the 2019 presidential election.
Excessive Voter Turnout Indicators Demand for Change
Saturday’s election witnessed a 76% voter turnout, with 17 million eligible Sri Lankans casting their ballots. The outcomes point out a transparent want for a shift in management, with Dissanayake’s message of financial reform and anti-establishment rhetoric resonating with a inhabitants weary of the nation’s monetary challenges.
Premadasa Takes Second Place, Wickremesinghe Falls to Third
Opposition chief Sajith Premadasa secured second place within the race, garnering 32.76% of the vote. In the meantime, outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had been in cost throughout Sri Lanka’s financial collapse in 2022, got here in third with 17.27%. Whereas Wickremesinghe has not but formally conceded, International Minister Ali Sabry acknowledged Dissanayake’s win, signaling the top of Wickremesinghe’s tenure.
Wickremesinghe’s administration, which got here to energy following a nationwide rebellion in 2022, was tasked with managing Sri Lanka’s restoration, together with securing a $2.9 billion bailout from the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF). Nonetheless, his authorities’s implementation of strict austerity measures—reminiscent of tax will increase and cuts to social packages—confronted widespread backlash as residing prices soared and poverty ranges doubled.
Dissanayake Guarantees to Renegotiate IMF Deal
Dissanayake’s marketing campaign centered closely on addressing the financial pressure felt by bizarre residents. He has vowed to renegotiate the phrases of the IMF settlement to alleviate the monetary burden, particularly in areas like meals and medication, the place taxes have been raised beneath Wickremesinghe’s austerity insurance policies.
Senior JVP member Bimal Ratnayake acknowledged, “We won’t tear up the IMF deal, however we will renegotiate it to ease the hardships,” emphasizing that whereas the settlement is binding, there’s room to renegotiate the phrases.
Countrywide Curfew and Safety Measures Ensured Peaceable Election
Regardless of the peaceable nature of the election, authorities imposed a nationwide curfew as a precaution till Sunday afternoon. 1000’s of law enforcement officials had been deployed to make sure safety all through the election course of. No main incidents had been reported, and the Election Fee has carried out a ban on victory rallies or public celebrations for every week following the announcement of the ultimate outcomes.
