In a historic election, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, has been declared the new President of Sri Lanka. The announcement was made by the country’s Election Commission (EC) Chairman, R.L.A.M. Ratnayake, on Sunday, September 22, at 7:00 PM local time.
The election, held on Saturday, September 21, saw no candidate winning more than 50% of the vote in the first round. This led to a second round of counting, factoring in voters’ second and third preferences. This marked the first time in Sri Lanka’s history that a presidential election had gone into a second round of counting.
Dissanayake’s victory comes at a pivotal moment for Sri Lanka, which has been grappling with significant economic challenges. It is expected that he will take the oath of office on Monday, September 23.
The election was the first since the ousting of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022, following massive public protests amid the country’s worst-ever economic crisis. Over 17 million Sri Lankans cast their votes in this crucial election.
Since 1982, Sri Lanka’s presidential elections have traditionally been decided in the first round. This election, however, broke that trend, requiring a second round of vote counting. Despite some tensions, the Election Commission has called this one of the most peaceful elections in Sri Lankan history. However, on Saturday night, police imposed a curfew in response to concerns over public safety.
The new president faces the enormous task of addressing the ongoing economic crisis and restoring stability to the island nation.