Sri Lanka's Marxist-leaning Dissanayake wins presidential election

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Marxist-leaning leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election for the debt-ridden island nation, the Election Commission announced on September 22 after an unprecedented second round of counting of votes.

Dissanayake, 56, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party's broader front National People’s Power (NPP), defeated his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). NPP said Dissanayake, who will become the country's 9th president, will take oath on Monday.

In a post on X, Dissanayake said: "The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true. This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work, but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory belongs to all of us. Our journey here has been paved by the sacrifices of so many who gave their sweat, tears, and even their lives for this cause. Their sacrifices are not forgotten. We hold the scepter of their hopes and struggles, knowing the responsibility it carries. The millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history."

Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe was eliminated in the first round, after he failed to become within the top two in the vote list.

Earlier, the Election Commission ordered a second round of counting after no candidate secured over 50 percent votes needed to be declared the winner of Saturday's election.

No election in Sri Lanka has ever progressed to the second round of counting, as single candidates have always emerged as clear winners based on first-preference votes.

(With Agency inputs)