Anura Kumara Dissanayake Takes Office as Sri Lanka's Ninth President

Anura Kumara Dissanayake Takes the Helm

Colombo: Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka's ninth President on Monday, amid hopes that he will bolster the country's economy and eliminate corruption.

Dissanayake, 56, was sworn in by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at the Presidential Secretariat. Dissanayake, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party's broader front National People's Power (NPP), defeated his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in Saturday's election.

Transition of Power

Earlier in the day, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned from his post as part of a power transition in the country following the presidential election won by Dissanayake. The resignation came ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Dissanayake.

Gunawardena, 75, was Prime Minister since July 2022. He stated in a letter to Dissanayake that he would create the environment necessary to appoint a new Cabinet.

Election Significance

Dissanayake, whose pro-working class and anti-political elite campaign resonated strongly with youth, secured victory over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over two years ago amidst an economic collapse.

• Dissanayake received 5,740,179 votes.
• Premadasa followed with 4,530,902 votes.

The election held Saturday was crucial as Sri Lanka seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.