Anura Kumara Dissanayake - leader of the Marxist party "Janata Vimukti Peramuna" has a commanding lead in the vote count in Sri Lanka's election, which is set to determine the debt-ridden country's next president to lead its fragile economic recovery, Reuters reported.
Dissanayake won about 53% of the one million ballots counted so far, according to data released by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa is in second place with 20%, leading by a few thousand votes over the current head of state, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who remains in third place.
About three-quarters of the island nation's 17 million voters cast ballots yesterday, data from Sri Lanka's Election Commission showed.
Dissanayake is a candidate for the National People's Power alliance, which includes his Marxist-oriented Janata Vimukti Peramuna party, which has traditionally supported stronger state intervention, lower taxes and more closed market economic policies. He gained popularity with promises of strong measures against corruption and pro-poor policies.
„After a long and difficult election campaign, the result of the elections is now clear”, said Foreign Minister Ali Sabri on the social network “X”. “Although I campaigned vigorously for President Wickremesinghe, the people of Sri Lanka have made up their minds and I fully support his mandate for Anura Kumara Dissanayake,”, he added.
It was Sri Lanka's first election since the country's economy collapsed in 2022 due to a severe shortage of foreign currency, leaving the island unable to pay for imports of essential goods, including fuel and medicine. Thousands of protesters then seized the presidential residence, forcing then-head of state Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee and later resign.
Supported by a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka's economy is now showing signs of recovery, but the high cost of living still remains a critical issue for many voters.