Sri Lanka’s new president Anura Kumar Dissanayake has been sworn in, promising “clean” politics as the country recovers from its worst economic crisis.
The left-leaning Dissanayake has positioned himself as a disruptor of the status quo, with analysts seeing his victory as a rejection of the corruption and cronyism that has long plagued the country.
Saturday’s election is the first since 2022, when economic discontent sparked mass protests and ousted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from power.
“We need to build a new political culture of integrity,” he said. “I am committed to achieving this goal. We will do our best to win back the people’s respect and trust in the political system.”
The 55-year-old, also known as AKD, told Sri Lankans that “democracy does not end with the appointment of a leader”.
“We need to strengthen democracy. I promise to do my best to safeguard democracy,” he said.
“I’ve said it before, I’m not a magician, I’m a private citizen. There are things I know and there are things I don’t know. My ultimate goal is to bring together people who have the knowledge and skills to help elevate this country.”
Dissanayake received Buddhist blessings at the end of his speech. Representatives of Sri Lanka’s other religions – Islam, Hinduism and Christianity – also attended the swearing-in ceremony, underscoring the new president’s emphasis on diversity.
“The unity of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and all Sri Lankans is the cornerstone of this new beginning,” Dissanayake said in a statement issued on the eve of the ceremony.
During the campaign, Dissanayake promised voters good governance and strict anti-corruption measures.
He promised to develop Sri Lanka’s manufacturing, agriculture and information technology industries. He also pledged to continue an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help Sri Lanka emerge from the economic crisis while reducing the impact of austerity measures on the country’s poorest people.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned before Dissanayake was sworn in, paving the way for the dissolution of parliament.
Dissanayake earlier told BBC Sinhala in an interview that he would dissolve Parliament soon after being elected.
He said at the time: “There is no point in continuing if Parliament is not aligned with the wishes of the people.”
Dissanayak won after Sunday’s vote count reached the second round, as no candidate was able to win more than 50% of the total vote in the first round.
After counting the president’s second and third votes, the electoral commission said Dissanayake won with a total of 5,740,179 votes.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa came second with 4,530,902 votes. Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe received 2,299,767 votes in the first round and was excluded from the second round.
Wickremesinghe congratulated his successor, saying: “With love and respect for this beloved country, I entrust its future to the new president”.
As of this weekend’s voting, Sri Lanka’s eight presidential elections since 1982 have resulted in a winner in the first round of counting. The poll has been described as one of the closest in the country’s history.
Dissanayake’s anti-corruption platform resonates strongly with voters who have been calling for systemic change since the crisis.
This allowed him to overcome his fear of the violent past of the Marxist party Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP), which launched two armed rebellions against the Sri Lankan government in the 1970s and 1980s.
Dissanayake’s alliance, the National People’s Power (of which the JVP is a part) rose to prominence during the 2022 protests, dubbed “Aragalaya” – the “Sinhala struggle”.
In recent years, Dissanayake has also sought to moderate his party’s far-left stance.
The country’s new president will face the dual task of reviving the economy and lifting millions of people out of extreme poverty.
The economic collapse fueled the Alagalaya uprising, which ousted Rajapaksa from the presidential palace in 2022.
At the time, Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves had dried up, leaving the country unable to import essential goods such as fuel. Public debt ballooned to $83 billion, while inflation soared to 70%.
This makes basic necessities such as food and medicine unaffordable for ordinary people.
The country’s economic woes have been blamed on major policy mistakes, weak exports and years of tax revenue shortfalls. The situation has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed tourism, a key economic driver.
However, many also blame it on corruption and mismanagement, fueling anger against Rajapaksa and his family, who have ruled Sri Lanka together for more than a decade.
“The most serious challenge is how to revive the economy,” Dr Atulathri Samarakom, a political scientist at the Open University of Sri Lanka, told BBC Sinhala.
during his term of office Wickremesinghe received a $2.9 billion lifeline from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was crucial to opening up additional financing channels but was accompanied by strict economic and governance policy reforms.
Sri Lanka is restructuring debt repayment terms with domestic and foreign lenders at the request of the International Monetary Fund. The main focus is the country’s $36 billion worth of foreign debt, $7 billion of which is owed to China, its largest bilateral creditor.
Like Dissanayake, Premadasa also promotes IT development and the establishment of 25 new industrial zones. He said tourism should be supported to make it the country’s largest foreign exchange earner.
During his campaign, Wickremesinghe said he would double tourist numbers and establish a national wealth fund, as well as new economic zones to spur growth.
Additional BBC Sinhala reporting
