Anura Dissanayake wins Sri Lanka’s presidential election
Dissanayake, 56, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party's broader front National People's Power, defeats his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Anura Dissanayake, leader of the National People's Power party, gestures after he claimed the victory in the presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 22, 2024. REUTERS
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Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday was declared winner of the Sri Lankan presidential election by the country's Election Commission after an unprecedented second round of counting of votes.
Dissanayake, 56, 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).
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Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe was eliminated in the first round after he failed to be within the top two in the vote list.
NPP said Dissanayake will take oath on Monday.
Earlier, the Election Commission ordered a second round of counting after no candidate secured over 50 per cent votes needed to be declared the winner of Saturday's election.
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Dissanayake will be the country's ninth president.
No election in Sri Lanka has ever progressed to the second round of counting, as single candidates have always emerged as clear winners based on first-preference votes.
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