South Asia
Marxist candidate wins presidential election in Sri Lanka
Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to journalists after voting. Photo
© Eranga Jayawardena/AP
It was the first election in Sri Lanka since the country went bankrupt two years ago. Voters chose a left-wing opposition candidate.
Two years after the economic collapse of their country, the people of the island state Sri Lanka has decided on a change of power and elected left-wing politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the new president.
The 55-year-old lawmaker, who is based on Marxism and is the leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, won by a clear margin of 1.2 million votes over the opposition leader in parliament, Sajith Premadasa, after a second round of counting, according to figures from the state election commission.
Incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe followed in third place; he was eliminated after the first round along with the other candidates. None of the almost 40 candidates received more than 50 percent, which would have been necessary for victory. Dissanayake received 42.3 percent of the vote. The president is elected for five years.
Dissanayake euphorically thanked the voters on Platform X. A dream they had cherished for centuries had come true. “This victory belongs to all of us.” The 75-year-old Wickremesinghe admitted defeat and expressed the hope that his successor would take the “right path.”
Hope for a new beginning
After the country’s bankruptcy in 2022, many of the country’s approximately 22 million residents associate the election with the hope of a new beginning and economic stability. Dissanayake ran for election with promises, among other things, to fight corruption and strengthen the economy.
He and his coalition of 21 organizations, including political parties, youth and women’s groups and trade unions, say they are committed to promoting “economic democracy for a fairer distribution of wealth” and to protecting the socially disadvantaged.
Widespread poverty
The dramatic crisis had plunged even more people into poverty in the country, also known as a holiday paradise in the Indian Ocean. “The aftermath of the 2022 financial crisis is still being felt,” said the German business delegate in Colombo, Marie Antonia von Schönburg. At the end of 2022, inflation was at 80 percent, and the corresponding loss of purchasing power is still noticeable. Many products, such as food, are still expensive. “It makes you wonder how people can even make ends meet with a monthly salary that often starts at 150 euros.”
In India, the election was closely followed due to the uncertainty in the small neighboring country. The crisis had triggered massive protests there. The heavily indebted state also lacked the means to import essential goods such as food, medicine and cooking gas. Despite signs of a slow recovery, the election was also seen as a vote on the government’s reform program. Wickremesinghe, who had already served as his country’s prime minister several times, had taken over the presidency on an interim basis two years ago after his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa was deposed and subsequently fled.
Renegotiations with the IMF?
Dissanayake also wants to renegotiate the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which granted the country an aid program worth around three billion US dollars (around 2.7 billion euros). The disbursement of the loan in several tranches is tied to strict conditions such as the implementation of certain reforms and unpopular austerity measures. The tax increases under Wickremesinghe are considered controversial.
However, the situation has eased as far as fuel supplies are concerned, said von Schönburg. The government has also managed to rebuild its currency reserves. It can be seen that more and more countries in Asia, including China, have established connections to serve markets in Europe and the USA from Sri Lanka. “That would also be an interesting area for German companies for the same reasons.”
Around 17 million people were called to vote on Saturday. According to preliminary figures, participation was 75 percent. According to the Sri Lankan newspaper “Daily Mirror”, the head of the election commission spoke of the most peaceful elections in the country’s history. Despite this, the authorities imposed a nationwide curfew just a few hours after the election in order to maintain “public safety”. The ban was lifted a day later.
Dissanayake on X