Who Is Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Left-Leaning Leader Poised To Be Next Sri Lanka President?

Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake is poised to become Sri Lanka's next President, as he leads the presidential election vote count.

Sri Lankans cast their votes on Saturday, September 21, in the first election since the country's severe economic crisis in 2022.

Photo Credit: PTI

By Sunday morning, Dissanayake had secured a crucial lead, positioning him to replace the incumbent, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who assumed office during the political and economic turmoil of July 2022.

According to early vote counts by 7 a.m. on Sunday, 56-year-old Dissanayake had received 727,000 votes, representing 52% of the total. His closest competitor, 57-year-old opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, garnered 333,000 votes, or 23%.

Meanwhile, President Wickremesinghe, 75, was trailing with 235,000 votes, making up 16%, as reported by PTI.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, commonly referred to as AKD, is the leader of two political parties-the People's Liberation Front (JVP) and the National People's Power (NPP).

Born on November 24, 1968, Dissanayake is currently a member of Sri Lanka's Parliament and has gained substantial support due to his promise to transform what he calls the country's "corrupt" political system.

After casting his vote on election day, he stated, "Our country needs a new political culture," emphasising the need for change, according to AFP.

Dissanayake's party has traditionally advocated for more state intervention in the economy and a closed-market approach.

Presenting himself as a candidate for change, Dissanayake has vowed to dissolve parliament within 45 days of taking office to seek a fresh mandate for his policies through general elections.

During his campaign, he also pledged to renegotiate the terms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, which was secured by Wickremesinghe in response to the government's default on foreign debt.

Regarding Dissanayake's stance on India, there are concerns that his Marxist-Leninist background may lead him to favour China. The Week reported that JVP's "ideological leanings with China fueled suspicions about China funding his campaigns since 2021."

However, Dissanayake himself addressed these claims in an interview with Daily Mirror Sri Lanka, saying, "Actually, someone had claimed that I had spent Rs 70 million on foreign trips. I visited India and China on invitation from their governments. The Indian and Chinese governments bore all the cost."

Despite the concerns, members of his party have expressed a desire to maintain strong relations with India.

Professor Anil Jayantha, a member of the NPP's national executive committee, told The Week, "Our party or our leader wants to engage with India. India is certainly our neighbour and a superpower. Recently, we were invited by India for an agricultural summit. We visited Delhi and Kerala. Our leader wants to deal with all the major powers to stabilise the Sri Lankan economy."

(With agency inputs)