COLOMBO: A previously fringe Marxist politician was on course Sunday (Sep 22) to become Sri Lanka’s next leader after a presidential vote coloured by discontent over the island nation’s response to an unprecedented financial crisis.
The first count in Saturday’s poll showed Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, the 55-year-old leader of the People’s Liberation Front, on just over 42 per cent.
He had a seemingly unassailable lead of nearly 1.3 million votes over second-placed opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who was trailing on 33 per cent.
Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe – who took office at the peak of the 2022 economic collapse and imposed tough austerity policies per the terms of an IMF bailout – was trailing at a distant third with around 17 per cent of the vote.
Sri Lanka has a preferential voting system, and a count of second choices marked on ballots will be conducted before a winner is formally declared.
Wickremesinghe has yet to concede, but Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said it seemed clear that Dissanayaka had won.
“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 said on social media.
Vijitha Herath, a lawmaker from Dissanayaka’s party, said they were confident of victory but urged supporters to be patient as the count dragged on.
“The Election Commission must complete the process of counting preference votes and that is what is delaying the final result,” he said in a video message posted on the party’s social media accounts.
IMF DEAL
Economic issues dominated the eight-week campaign, with widespread public anger over the hardships endured since the peak of the crisis two years ago.
Dissanayaka would “not tear up” the IMF deal but would seek to modify it, a party politburo member told AFP.
“It is a binding document, but there is a provision to renegotiate,” said Bimal Ratnayake.
He said Dissanayaka had pledged to reduce income taxes that were doubled by Wickremesinghe and slash sales taxes on food and medicines.
“We think we can get those reductions into the programme and continue with the four-year bailout programme,” he said.
