‘We stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history’: Anura Dissanayake

Leftist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected as the President of Sri Lanka on Sunday. The former fringe-leader has enjoyed a wave of support in recent months as an economic meltdown forced widespread hardships upon the island nation.
“This victory belongs to all of us. Together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history. 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 wrote on X.
The National People’s Power coalition has vowed to reopen negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over its $3 billion bailout struck by the outgoing administration. The tough austerity measures and tax hikes that Wickremesinghe imposed to secure the IMF bailout made him deeply unpopular with voters.
Political analysts indicate that his immediate challenge would be tosteady the economy “in the face of anxieties felt by business and financial groups about his Marxist and revolutionary background”.
(With inputs from agencies)