Sri Lanka takes Left turn with Dissanayake’s ‘renaissance’

AK Dissanayake wins thumping majority in Sri Lanka election

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, September 22: Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition won Sri Lanka’s presidential election with a thumping majority. The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe faced a crushing defeat in the poll.

From merely polling four per cent votes in the 2019 election, the Marxist, Dissanayake, led his alliance to win a whopping 52 per cent of the support of the electorate. The decisive mandate offers Dissanayake to lead a stable government in Colombo.

Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) came a distant second in the poll. He polled just 23 per cent of the votes. Fortunes of Wickremesinghe went crashing as he could bag just 16.84 per cent of the vote share.

Also Read: Ranil Wickremesinghe battles odds in Sri Lanka elections 

Namal Rajapaksa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) also faced a crushing defeat. He polled less than three per cent votes.

After casting his vote at the Saikoji Preschool Polling Station, Abeysingharama Temple, Panchikawatta, Dissanayake had said that the polls mark “a step forward in our collective journey towards a new era of progress and renewal – Renaissance”.

The incumbent foreign minister of Sri Lanka M U M Ali Sabry spelt out challenges for Dissanayake in a long post on X, formerly Twitter. “Leading a country is no easy task, and I genuinely hope that their leadership brings Sri Lanka the peace, prosperity, and stability it so deeply deserves. The challenges they will face are immense, and I trust they will reflect on the lessons of the past — both the successes and failures of those who have held power before them,” said Sabry.

He conveyed his counsel, saying: “History teaches us that the real challenge is not in winning an election, but in governing wisely and staying true to the needs of the people”.

Also Read: Ranil’s Sri Lanka 

The victory of a Left-leaning politician in Sri Lanka has come after a peaceful election in the island nation. Wickremesinghe had taken charge of the country in 2022 after then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled Sri Lanka following popular protest.

At the time of taking charge of the administration, Wickremesinghe was the only MP of his party in Sri Lankan parliament. In the election campaign, Dissanayake had accused Wickremesinghe of leading a pro-rich administration.

High taxation and alleged corruptions in the high ranks of the administration buzzed during the poll campaign. Sri Lankan economy is not yet out of the woods after Colombo announced a sovereign default in 2022.

Sri Lanka observers underline that Dissanayake will have to walk a fine balance in the next four years. While Sri Lankan fate is linked to India, China eyes stronghold on the mineral wealth of the island nation as well as the maritime dominance.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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