The command of Sri Lanka is now in the hands of the leftist leader, new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took oath

Neighbouring country Sri Lanka has got its new president. Anura Kumara Disanayake has taken oath as the ninth president of the country on Monday morning. In the vote counting held on Sunday, he defeated his nearest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balavegaya Party (SJB). Disanayake was made the presidential candidate on behalf of the National People's Power (NPP), the coalition front of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Party (JVP).

In the first phase of counting on Sunday, no candidate was able to secure 50 percent of the votes. After which the election went into the second preference round. After the counting of which, Disanayake has been elected the President of the country. The people of Sri Lanka hope that he will strengthen the country's economy and end corruption. During the entire election campaign, Disanayake has presented himself as a liberal and a leader who is moving towards change.

56-year-old Anura Kumar Dissanayake was sworn in by Chief Justice Jayananth Jayasuriya. Dissanayake is an MP from Sri Lanka's capital Colombo and is influenced by leftist ideology. He is also the president of the country's leftist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Party. He has also contested the presidential election in 2019 and has also been the chief opposition whip from 2015 to 2018. Dissanayake has put forward his policies before the public during the campaign to get the country out of debt and reduce corruption.

After winning the election, Dissanayake wrote on Instagram, “The dream we had for centuries is finally coming true. This victory is not the result of the work of a single person, but the collective effort of millions of you. Your commitment has brought us here and for this I am very grateful to you.”

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister resigns

On Monday itself, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene resigned from his post. This resignation was given after the change of power in the country. Before Disanayake's swearing-in ceremony, the PM resigned and said that he is resigning from the post because the new President has been elected and he will soon appoint a new cabinet. 75-year-old Gunawardene was the Prime Minister since July 2022 and his tenure was just a few months from two years.