Who is Anura Kumara Dissanayake? What you should know about Sri Lanka's new president

Anura Kumara Dissanayake became the 10th presidentof Sri Lanka, after the first-ever election run-off of the South Asian nation on Sunday (Sep 22).

The leftist politician contested the election as part of the National People’s Poweror NPP alliance. Dissanayake is the leader of the Janata Vimukti Peramuna or People's Liberation Front.

Watch:Sri Lanka Election: Anura Kumara Dissanayake Wins Mandate

In the run-off, Dissanayake trounced his closest contender Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

The second round of counting - a first for the nation- had to be held as no candidate secured more than 50 per cent of the votes needed to be declared the winner.

The incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe was ousted in the first round itself, not having secured a position among the top two in the first round.

The elections held on Saturdaywere the first since the post-pandemic economic crisis and popular uprising. Dissanayake was one of the key leaders of that movement in 2022, which led to the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had to flee the country at one point.

After his historic victory, Dissanayake said in a post on X, “This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work, but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory belongs to all of us."

"The unity of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and all Sri Lankans is the bedrock of this new beginning. The New Renaissance we seek will rise from this shared strength and vision. Let us join hands and shape this future together!" he added.

The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true. This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work, but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory… pic.twitter.com/N7fBN1YbQA

Who is Dissanayake?

Dissanayake isa 55-year-old Marxist leader. His party JVP played a key role in organising and drumming up support for the anti-government protests in the wake of a loan default and massive cost of living crisis as the Sri Lankan economy collapsed.

He made rousing speeches during the 2022protests known in Sinhalese as 'Aragalaya' or struggle.

The protesters stormed the president's residence, eventuallyending Rajapaksa's rule. Wickremesinghe was installed as a consensus president.

This is the first election in the country since those dramatic developments.

Having fought on a pro-poor platform, Dissanayake's party has promised to lower the taxes, crack down on corruption, and seek a greater role for the government in running the economy.

AKD for his supporters, Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on 24 November 1968 in Thambuthegama village, Anuradhapura district, North Central Province.

Son of a labourer and a housewife, AKD joined JVP during his student politics days in 1987. He rose in party ranks, joining its politburoin 1995.

A lawmaker since 2000, Dissanayake was elected a Member of Parliament from the Colombo district.

He contested the presidential election in 2019 too.

He served as the agriculture minister from 2004 to 2005 and was the Opposition Whip from 2015 to 2018.

(With inputs from agencies)