Sri Lanka gets a new President, Leftist Anura Dissanayake takes charge

Sri Lanka has elected a new President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Beating off the challenge of Sajith Premadasa and the incumbent Ranil Wickremasinghe, Anura Kumara the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party, won by a landslide and will now assume power as the 10th President of the island nation.
Anura Kumar will lead a coalition of 28 parties under his National People Power (NPP). Dissanayake emerged victorious over his closest rival, Sajith Premadasa, by a margin of approximately 10 percentage points, as reported by the official count from the Sri Lanka Election Commission.

The election was the first to be held since mass protests unseated Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022 after the country suffered an economic crisis. In his inaugural address, Dissanayake thanked outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe for respecting the people’s mandate and facilitating a peaceful transfer of power. Dissanayake’s anti-corruption message and his promise of a change in political culture resonated strongly with young voters who had been demanding system change since the economic crisis.

Who is Dissanayake?

Dissanayake is the leader of the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) a Marxist–Leninist communist party in Sri Lanka. The party was formerly a revolutionary movement and was involved in two armed uprisings against the government of Sri Lanka. The motive for both uprisings was to establish a socialist state.

Son of a labourer, Anura Kumara joined JVP during his student politics days in 1987. He rose in party ranks, joining its politburo in 1995. A lawmaker since 2000, Dissanayake was elected a Member of Parliament from the Colombo district.

Following his Presidential victory, Dissanayake wrote on X, “The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true. This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work, but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory belongs to all of us.”

He also thanked the people for their sacrifices and called for the unity of the diverse populations of the country, with a message to come together for a new vision, “Our journey here has been paved by the sacrifices of so many who gave their sweat, tears, and even their lives for this cause. Their sacrifices are not forgotten. We hold the scepter of their hopes and struggles, knowing the responsibility it carries. The millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history.”

What does this election mean for India

So far Dissanayake remains an unknown element for India, initial reports suggest that Dissanayake may lean towards China due to his Marxist background. Historically, Sri Lanka has favored China during the Rajapaksa era, with significant loans funding projects like the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port. However those projects also led to huge debt crisis, the aftermath of which brought Dissanayake to power.
Dissanayake’s party’s anti-India stand and pro-China leaning notwithstanding, the leader himself has expressed a desire to engage with India and maintain cordial relations. This signaled a shift in his former stance and indicated his wish to work with global players, including India.

Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) party sought to allay concerns about its potential pro-China leanings. They have reassured India that the new administration will not become entangled in geopolitical rivalries. “Sri Lankan territory will not be used against any other nation. We are fully aware of the geopolitical situation in our region, but we will not participate.” Bimal Ratnayake, a spokesperson for the party, told AFP.

Professor Anil Jayantha, a member of the NPP’s national executive committee, also emphasized the importance of India-Sri Lanka relations, “India is certainly our neighbour and a superpower. Our leader wants to deal with all major powers to stabilize the Sri Lankan economy.”

Dissanayake visited India in February this year on an invitation from the government. He met external affairs minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser (NDA) Ajit Doval in New Delhi. Dissanayake had said in interviews that Sri Lanka and India had long-standing bilateral and diplomatic relations and that his party JVP’s intention was to strengthen the ties.

Sri Lanka remains a major geopolitical country for India, with China as well as the USA pushing their own interests in the region, it remains to be seen where this India-Lanka partnership will head to in the coming times, and what will be the role of the new Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake in the process.