Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a leftist politician, is leading Sri Lanka’s presidential election following a vote held on Saturday, marking the first election since mass protests ousted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022. Dissanayake has garnered 42% of the votes counted so far, promising voters a tough stance on corruption and a focus on good governance—key issues resonating with a population eager for change after the country’s worst economic crisis.
To win the presidency outright, a candidate must secure 51% of the vote. As of Sunday morning, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa is in second place with 32% of the vote, while incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, seeking a second term, has received 16%. Namal Rajapaksa, nephew of the ousted president, has captured just under 3%.
Should no candidate reach the 51% threshold in the first round, Sri Lanka will move to a second round where voters’ second and third choices will be considered—a first in the country’s history of presidential elections, where winners have always emerged during the first round since 1982.
Seventeen million Sri Lankans were eligible to vote, and the election commission has described the election as the most peaceful in Sri Lanka’s history. However, a curfew was imposed late Saturday night for “public safety,” which remains in effect until noon local time.
Dissanayake’s early success has already garnered congratulations from supporters of his main rivals. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, despite campaigning for President Wickremesinghe, acknowledged the strong lead of Dissanayake, stating, “The people of Sri Lanka have made their decision, and I fully respect their mandate.”
Harsha de Silva, an MP supporting Premadasa, also congratulated Dissanayake, while Tamil National Alliance spokesman MA Sumanthiran praised Dissanayake’s win as “impressive” and devoid of “racial or religious chauvinism.”
The new president will face the monumental task of reviving Sri Lanka’s economy, which has been in freefall since 2022. The “Aragalaya” (struggle) uprising, sparked by an economic meltdown, forced Rajapaksa from office after the country’s foreign reserves were depleted, leaving it unable to import fuel and essentials. Public debt ballooned to $83 billion, inflation soared to 70%, and millions were left struggling with poverty and scarcity.
The crisis was widely attributed to poor economic policies, corruption, and mismanagement, especially by the Rajapaksa family, which has dominated Sri Lankan politics for over a decade. Now, Dissanayake stands poised to lead the country through its next chapter of economic recovery and governance reform.
Chioma Kalu
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