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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

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