A former fringe Marxist politician was proclaimed the nation’s president-elect by Sri Lanka’s electoral commission on Sunday, following a vote tainted by dissatisfaction over the island nation’s handling of an unparalleled financial crisis.
The People’s Liberation Front’s 55-year-old leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, emerged victorious in the presidential race on Saturday, garnering 42.31% of the total vote, according to the commission. Sajith Premadasa, the head of the opposition, came in second with 32.76%.
Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office at the height of the economic crisis in 2022 and implemented strict austerity measures in accordance with the terms of an IMF bailout, finished in a distant third place with 17.27%.
Although Wickremesinghe has not yet conceded, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry declared that Dissanayaka’s victory was obvious.
“Though I heavily campaigned for President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the people of Sri Lanka have made their decision, and I fully respect their mandate for Anura Kumara Dissanayaka,” Sabry stated on social media.
According to electoral commission officials, the President Secretariat, which dates back to colonial times, in Colombo will host Dissanayaka’s swearing-in on Monday morning.
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