Sri Lanka's Marxist-Leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake Wins Presidential Elections, Swearing On Sept 23

In a historic turn of events, Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been elected as Sri Lanka's ninth president. This marks a significant moment as it's the first the country witnessed a second round of vote counting during a presidential election. The necessity for an additional round arose when initial results revealed no candidate had achieved the required 50 percent plus one vote to win outright from's election.

The victory was confirmed for Dissanayake a 56-year-old leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party and its broader coalition, National People's Power (NPP), by the country's Election Commission. This triumph came after a closely contested race against Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), positioning Dissanayake at the helm of Sri Lankan politics.

In a notable turn of events during the initial round of counting, incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe was removed from contention, failing to secure a spot among the top two candidates. This development paved the way for an unprecedented second round of vote tallying, a scenario never before encountered in Sri Lankan electoral history. Elections in the past have always concluded with a decisive winner from the first count of preference votes, making this election particularly noteworthy.

The National People's Power announced that Dissanayake is set to take the oath of office on Monday, initiating his term as president. This election's outcome not only signifies a pivotal shift in the nation's leadership but also highlights the evolving dynamics of Sri Lankan democracy.