Anura Kumara Dissanayake: Who is Sri Lanka’s new left-wing president?
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a 55-year-old leftist politician known for his pro-working class stance, has been elected Sri Lanka’s next president in the country’s first election since the economic collapse of 2022. The election marks the first presidential contest since widespread protests in 2022 which ousted previous leader, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amid the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. This victory belongs to all of us,” Mr Dissanayake said in a post on X. Mr Dissanayake’s victory represents a significant political shift in Sri Lanka. Born in 1968 in Galewela in central Sri Lanka, Mr Dissanayake’s early years were shaped by the country’s turbulent political landscape.