Sri Lanka's left-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake elected president in first vote since 2022 mass protests

Left-leaning leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won the presidential election in Sri Lanka.

The election, held on Saturday, was the first since mass protests in 2022 saw Sri Lanka’s then leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa unseated as the country faced its worst economic crisis.

Mr Dissanayake secured 42% of the votes counted, followed by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa with 32% and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe at 17%, according to the Election Commission.

While official results are yet to be announced, Mr Dissanayake, who leads the National People’s Power coalition, claimed he had won the polls as he said on X: “This victory belongs to all of us.”

The 55-year-old, whose pro-working class and anti-political elite campaigning made him popular among youth, has come a long way since the presidential elections in 2019, where he won just over 3% of the vote.

Sri Lanka has a new president – and he’s different

As Anura Kumara Dissanayake, or AKD as he’s known, is elected president of Sri Lanka he is aware that he wears a crown of thorns.

The country is reeling from a crippling economy and its people have been suffering one of the worst cost-of-living crises in living memory.

The leader cut his teeth in university politics and worked through the ranks of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) a party of Marxist-Leninist origins.

The JVP’s armed insurrection against the state in 1988 was crushed.

In retaliation there were brutal killings, including of political opponents, ordinary government employees and dissidents by the party cadre. The state’s response was lethal.

There are many from the older generation that remember these killings.

And Mr Dissanayake needs to convince his detractors that he is there for all.

There is much trepidation and scepticism of the Marxist ideology of his party and how it will work with international organisations that have bailed Sri Lanka out of bankruptcy.

Bimal Ratnayake, executive member of the party, told Sky News “we have already declared we will remain in the IMF programme but while this is on, we will discuss with them for negotiations for some changes”.

“But all these things will be mutually agreed.”

There is criticism of the inexperience of the leadership and the party.

Dr Harini Amarasuriya, who may be the next prime minister, responded by saying in an interview with Sky News that “we don’t have the experience in making the country bankrupt… for sure we will gain experience in building the country”.

It’s the younger generation that have been the ardent supporters of AKD.

Its desire is for change against the dynastic families that have ruled the country for decades. And it came out in full force in support of this change.

The country yearns to turn the page – and it’s done it.

For AKD, winning the elections may be an easier task than what is in store ahead for him and his presidency.

He replaces Mr Wickremesinghe, who took over from Mr Rajapaksa when he was forced to resign in 2022 amid widespread protests over the worst economic crisis Sri Lanka had ever seen.

Mr Wickremesinghe’s foreign minister Ali Sabry congratulated Mr Dissanayake on X and said he hopes he will “lead with a commitment to transparency, integrity, and the long-term good of the country”.

Mr Sabry added: “I wish Mr. Dissanayake and his team every success in their efforts to lead Sri Lanka forward.”

Mr Premadasa has not yet conceded defeat.

Sri Lanka’s crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue.

The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them.

It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing Mr Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

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