Marxist Dissanayake elected president of Sri Lanka

Left-leaning leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been elected as the President of Island country Sri Lanka. He became the ninth president of Sri Lanka after the second round of counting. He defeated Samagi Jan Balvegaya leader Sajith Premadasa. Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on Saturday. After no candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round of counting, the second round of votes was counted.

Dissanayake, who promised voters good governance and tough anti-corruption measures, emerged as winner after the second count, which tallied voters’ second and third choice candidates.

He has the challenge of boosting the country’s economy and lifting tens of millions of citizens out of poverty. Nationwide protests began in 2022 following Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis in history. Because of this, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country, reached Singapore and resigned from his post. Dissanayake became the presidential candidate on behalf of the National People’s Power Alliance. In the coalition, he is associated with the Marxist-leaning Janatha Bhimukti Peramuna (JVP). Dissanayake, who has been leading the alliance since 2019, has been the JVP chief since 2014. He also contested in the 2019 presidential election. At that time he got 3 percent of the votes.

Dissanayake’s party has long been in favour of strong state intervention, reduced tax rates and some strict regulation of market and economic policies. After the economic crisis, he became popular because of his pro-poor policies and his commitment to stand up against corruption.