Left-leaning leader wins Sri Lanka election in political paradigm shift

Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emerged as Sri Lanka’s newly elected president, securing 42% of the vote in the country’s first election since the 2022 economic collapse.

Highlights of election

• The 55-year-old leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition defeated his main rival, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who garnered 23% of the vote.
• While outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe trailed in third. 
• The election witnessed a high voter turnout, with 76% of Sri Lanka’s 17.1 million electorate participating in what is seen as a crucial vote for the country’s future.

Sri Lankan PM Dinesh Gunawardena resigns after Anura Dissanayake wins Presidential Poll

• Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned from his post on Monday as part of a power transition in the country following the presidential election won by Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
• The resignation came ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Dissanayake.
• Gunawardena, 75, was prime minister since July 2022.

Who is Anura Dissanayake?

• Born in Galewela, a small village in Central Province, on November 24, 1968.
• Dissanayake moved to Kekirawa at the age of four, where his upbringing would lay the groundwork for his future political consciousness.

Education

• His education began at Gamini Vidyalaya in Dambuththagama, and he later attended Dambuththagama Central College, excelling in studies.
• In 1992, Dissanayake enrolled at the University of Kelaniya, near Colombo, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. 

Political Journey

• In 1997, Dissanayake took his first significant steps into national politics when he was appointed national organizer of the Socialist Youth Organization, the youth wing of the JVP (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna).
• His first test in electoral politics came in the 1998 Central Provincial Council elections, where he contested as the Chief Ministerial candidate. 
• In 2004 that Dissanayake rose to prominence, when he contested the parliamentary elections from Kurunegala district.
• In January 2014, Dissanayake ascended to the JVP leadership.
• In the 2024 presidential race, Dissanayake’s platform of reform resonated with voters who had grown weary of political patronage and dynastic rule.

Winning Campaign

• • A Focus on Anti-Corruption and Economic Reform
  • Addressing Sri Lanka’s Unresolved Issues
  • A Mandate for Change
  • The Economic Crisis and Its Political Impact
  • Widespread Support and Political Unity