A Marxist-leaning politician expressed his understanding of Sri Lanka’s complex challenges and pledged to work toward fulfilling the people’s aspirations.
Marxist-oriented politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially assumed the role of Sri Lanka’s new president following his victory in the election held on Saturday. He took the oath of office at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo early on Monday morning.
He expressed his awareness of the intricate challenges confronting Sri Lanka and committed to diligently working towards fulfilling the aspirations of the populace while earning the trust of all Sri Lankans. “I will strive to completely restore the public’s faith in politicians,” Dissanayake stated following his oath-taking ceremony. “I am neither a conjurer nor a magician,” he continued. “There are areas where I possess knowledge and others where I do not, but I will seek the most informed counsel and exert my utmost effort. For this, I require the support of everyone.” The 55-year-old leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) and the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance secured the presidency with 42.31 percent of the votes, as reported by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.
Dissanayake campaigned for office with a commitment to address corruption and reform the political landscape in the South Asian island nation. This election marked the first since widespread protests led to the ousting of Gotabaya Rajapaksa amid an economic crisis in 2022. Currently, the situation has stabilized with assistance from the International Monetary Fund; however, the stringent austerity measures have inflicted significant hardship on many citizens, resulting in voters expressing their discontent towards Ranil Wickremesinghe, who assumed the presidency following Rajapaksa’s departure, during the elections. The JVP, which led two uprisings in the 1970s and 1980s that resulted in over 80,000 fatalities, eventually renounced violence. Dissanayake was a student leader within the JVP during the latter insurrection and has recounted how a teacher provided him refuge from government-supported death squads that targeted party members.
