In a historic turn of events, Sri Lanka’s presidential election has entered into a second round of counting as no candidate received the required 50 percent of votes. Marxist-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake is leading with 39.5 percent of the votes, followed by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa with 34 percent. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been disqualified, along with the other 36 candidates.
The second round of counting is set to determine the winner of the presidential race by considering the preferential votes cast by voters. The economy has been a prominent focus of the election, with Dissanayake promising welfare measures to alleviate people’s lives and criticizing austerity measures imposed as part of a deal with the IMF. Wickremesinghe’s inability to address the cost-of-living crisis and his association with the Rajapaksa family, who have been blamed for the economic crisis, led to a decline in popularity.
Dissanayake leads the left-leaning coalition National People’s Power, positioning himself as a candidate for change. His rise in popularity came after the 2022 protests that forced former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. Premadasa, the son of slain President Ranasinghe Premadasa, has also pledged to renegotiate the terms of the IMF deal.
The election turnout saw about 75 percent of the 17 million eligible voters casting their ballots. The final result is expected to be announced soon, with political scientists noting that the election results indicate continued unrest in Sri Lanka since the 2022 protests.
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