A left-wing Sri Lankan politician committed to fighting corruption in a troubled economy has taken a convincing lead as votes are counted in Saturday’s presidential election.
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(Bloomberg) — A left-wing Sri Lankan politician committed to fighting corruption in the troubled economy has taken a commanding lead as votes are counted in Saturday’s presidential election.
With the results of postal votes in 18 of the 22 constituencies released so far, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was leading with 55.9 votes, local media including Derana reported on Sunday morning, citing figures from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe received 19% of the vote, while the leader of the opposition, Sajith Premadasa, received 20.6%.
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A candidate needs to win 50% of the votes cast to be declared the winner. Observers and other opinion polls had predicted a close election with a possible run-off – the first time in the country’s history. The Election Commission said on Saturday that it hopes to announce the result on Sunday.
The commission estimated that 75% of the nation’s 17 million voters went to the polls, according to media reports. The president declared a curfew during the countdown to prevent any possible incidents of violence. Monday has also been declared a public holiday.
MAMA Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry conveyed his congratulations to Dissanayake. “Although I campaigned hard for President Ranil Wickremasinghe, the people of Sri Lanka have made their decision, and I fully respect their authority on Anura Kumara Dissanayake,” he said in a post on the social media platform X.
The election was the first since the economic crisis two years ago, when inflation of nearly 70 percent and shortages of everything from food to energy led to widespread unrest, forcing former leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.
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Dissanayake, 55, heads National People’s Power, a coalition of leftist political parties and groups backed by the protesters who ousted Rajapaksa. He has drawn support from voters angry at the country’s political elite – represented by the likes of incumbent Wickremesinghe – whom he accuses of dragging the economy into crisis.
Dissanayake’s coalition, better known by its initials, AKD, is committed to fighting corruption in the government, negotiating loan deals with countries like China and renegotiating a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Uncertainty over the outcome of the election has made investors nervous as they watch for possible delays in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring program and disbursement from the IMF.
—With assistance from Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Dan Strumpf and Jon Herskovitz.
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