Sri Lankan Department of Census and Statistics, World Bank reports

Anura Kumara Dissanayake Wins Sri Lanka Presidential Election with 42.3% of Votes, Defeats Wickremesinghe

Sep 22, 2024, 02:36 PM

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party and the National People's Power (NPP) coalition, has been declared the winner of Sri Lanka's presidential election. Dissanayake secured 42.3% of the votes, defeating opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The election, marked by a historic second round of ranked ballot counting, saw Dissanayake leading with more than 5.6 million votes. He garnered 56% of postal votes from 7 electoral districts. This victory represents a significant shift in Sri Lanka's political landscape, as Dissanayake becomes the first leftist president in the nation's history. The election was held amid widespread discontent over the country's economic collapse in 2022, with voters rejecting the old political guard, including incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Dissanayake's win is seen as a vote for change, with hopes that he will address the economic challenges facing the country.