Anura Kumara Dissanayake to become Sri Lanka President: Early trends

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the National People's Power (NPP), is set to become Sri Lanka’s ninth executive president, according to early postal voting results.

Polling for the presidential election was held on Saturday from 7 am to 4 pm local time across over 13,400 polling stations in 22 electoral districts. About 75% of the 17 million eligible voters participated in the polling, as reported by the election commission.

According to results from the postal voting in seven electoral districts, Dissanayake has secured 56% of the votes, while his opponents, Sajith Premadasa and current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, have each garnered 19%.

Analysts believe this voting trend suggests Dissanayake is likely to win over 50% of the total votes. If victorious, he will be Sri Lanka’s first Marxist head of state, which would eliminate the need for a second preference vote count to determine the winner among the three main candidates.

Dissanayake, representing the NPP and his Marxist-leaning Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party, has focused on anti-corruption measures and pro-poor policies. JVP currently holds three seats in parliament.

Dissanayake's campaign has promised significant changes, including the dissolution of parliament within 45 days to secure a fresh mandate in the general elections.

This election marks Sri Lanka's first since its severe economic crisis in 2022, which led to a major shortage of foreign exchange and hindered the country’s ability to pay for essential imports like fuel, medicine, and cooking gas. The crisis provoked large protests in Colombo, resulting in the resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.