For the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, the presidential election has moved to a second round, as no candidate secured the required 50 percent of votes. This election follows two years after an unprecedented financial crisis shook the island nation.
Marxist-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake, positioned as a challenger to the traditional political elite, led the polls with 39.5 percent of the vote. He was closely followed by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who garnered 34 percent. The second round will now decide the final outcome of the presidential race.
Sri Lanka’s presidential election has entered a second round after incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe and 36 other candidates were disqualified, the Election Commission announced. A new count is underway to determine the winner.
Wickremesinghe, who oversaw the country’s economic recovery following its 2022 debt default, placed third with only 17 percent of the vote. His failure to tackle the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and his ties to the Rajapaksa family, blamed for the economic collapse, likely contributed to his low performance.
Leading the race is Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a 55-year-old Marxist-leaning candidate, with 39.5 percent of the vote. Dissanayake, head of the leftist coalition National People’s Power, has promised welfare measures and criticized the austerity imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of Sri Lanka’s financial recovery. His popularity surged after the 2022 protests ousted then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Approximately 75 percent of the 17 million eligible voters participated in the election, as the economy dominated the election agenda.
