Marxist legislator Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won Sri Lanka’s presidential election, according to data released by the Election Commission, as voters rejected the old political guard that has been widely accused of pushing the South Asian nation towards economic ruin.
Mr Dissanayake, whose pro-working class and anti-political elite campaigning made him popular among young people, secured victory over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and incumbent liberal president Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over the country two years ago after its economy hit rock bottom.
Mr Dissanayake received 5,740,179 votes, followed by Mr Premadasa with 4,530,902, Election Commission data showed.
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… pic.twitter.com/N7fBN1YbQA
— Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) September 22, 2024
The election held on Saturday was crucial as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
“This victory belongs to all of us,” Mr Dissanayake said in a post on X.
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