Marxist Dissanayake Elected Sri Lankan President

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader and presidential candidate of the National People's Power, arrived at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday to cast his vote. The election was a crucial one for the country, seeking to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval. The outcome of the election would determine the future of Sri Lanka and its path to recovery.

The results of the election were announced on Sunday by the Election Commission, revealing a stunning victory for Dissanayake. He secured a decisive win over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had taken over the country two years prior after its economy hit bottom.

Dissanayake's victory was a testament to his popular pro-working class and anti-political elite campaigning, which resonated deeply with Sri Lankan youth. He received a total of 5,740,179 votes, leaving Premadasa trailing behind with 4,530,902 votes. Dissanayake, in a post on X, expressed his gratitude to the people of Sri Lanka, acknowledging that their collective effort brought him to victory.

The election was a virtual referendum on Wickremesinghe's leadership during the fragile recovery process, including restructuring Sri Lanka's debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout program following the country's default in 2022. Dissanayake had pledged to renegotiate the IMF deal to alleviate the burden of austerity measures, while Wickremesinghe cautioned against altering the agreement, warning that it could delay the release of a crucial $3 billion tranche.

Despite neither candidate securing more than 50% of the vote, Dissanayake's victory was a significant achievement, particularly considering he had only won just over 3% of votes in the previous presidential election in 2019. This outcome suggests a weariness among Sri Lankan voters with the old political guard and a desire for change.