Sri Lanka has elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake as its 9th Executive President, signalling a new and decisive chapter in the island’s political history.
55-year-old Dissanayake’s victory comes after a closely contested election against Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
The election extended into an unprecedented second round of vote counting, unseating the incumbent, President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Dissanayake’s political career spans over three decades, beginning in 1988 as the National Organiser of the Social Students’ Association.
He rose through the ranks of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), joining its Central Working Committee in 1995 and becoming a Member of Parliament in 2001.
Between 2004 and 2005, he served as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation in President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s government.
In 2014, Dissanayake succeeded Somawansa Amarasinghe as the leader of the JVP, marking a new era for a party long guided by only two leaders since its inception.
Dissanayake, a student of Thambuththegana Central College in Anuradhapura, is a graduate of the University of Kelaniya with a degree in Physics.
Known for his powerful rhetoric and advocacy for social justice, sovereignty, and transparent governance, Dissanayake has long been a prominent voice on issues such as corruption and labor rights.
His leadership is anticipated to focus on addressing the pressing economic challenges Sri Lanka faces, while safeguarding the country’s democratic integrity. (Newswire)