Sri Lanka's new leftist president vows to 'rewrite' country's history

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's leftist president-elect will be sworn into office Monday (Sep 23) after simmering public anger over the island nation's unprecedented economic crisis propelled him to a landslide poll win.

Self-avowed Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, of the People's Liberation Front (JVP), won nearly 1.3 million more votes than his nearest rival.

The previously fringe politician, whose party led two failed uprisings that left tens of thousands dead, saw a surge of support after the country's 2022 economic meltdown forced painful hardships upon ordinary Sri Lankans.

Dissanayaka, 55, said on Sunday that his victory had been "paved by the sacrifices of so many who gave their sweat, tears and even their lives for this cause".

"The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true," he said in a statement shortly after the announcement.

"This victory belongs to all of us," he added. "Millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history”.

Dissanayaka was due to be sworn in at 9am (3.30am GMT) at the colonial-era President Secretariat in Colombo, election commission officials said.

Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe - who took office at the peak of the 2022 economic collapse and imposed tough austerity policies per the terms of an IMF bailout - was a distant third in the contest with 17 per cent of the vote. 

"History will judge my efforts, but I can confidently say that I did my best to stabilise the country during one of its darkest periods," he said in a statement.

He congratulated Dissanayaka on the win and said he was "confident" the politician would "steer Sri Lanka on a path of continued growth and stability".

US ambassador Julie Chung also passed on her congratulations, saying in a statement that Washington stood "ready to work together on shared priorities" with the next administration. 

Dissanayaka will be sworn in on Monday morning at the colonial-era President Secretariat in Colombo, election commission officials said.

IMF DEAL

Economic issues dominated the eight-week campaign, with widespread public anger over the belt-tightening measures imposed by Wickremesinghe since the peak of the island nation's bruising financial crisis.

Dissanayaka would "not tear up" the IMF deal but would seek to modify it, a party politburo member told AFP.

"It is a binding document, but there is a provision to renegotiate," said Bimal Ratnayake.

He said Dissanayaka had vowed to reduce income taxes that were doubled by Wickremesinghe and slash sales taxes on food and medicines.

"We think we can get those reductions into the programme and continue with the four-year bailout programme," he said.

Dissanayaka's once-marginal Marxist party led two failed uprisings in the 1970s and 1980s that left more than 80,000 people dead.

But Sri Lanka's crisis has proven an opportunity for Dissanayaka, whose popularity rocketed on his pledge to change the island's "corrupt" political culture.

Around 76 per cent of Sri Lanka's 17.1 million eligible voters cast ballots in Saturday's poll. 

Dissanayaka's party sought to reassure India that any administration he led would not be caught up in the geopolitical rivalry between its northern neighbour and China, the country's largest lender.

New Delhi has expressed concerns over what it sees as Beijing's growing influence in Sri Lanka, which sits on vital shipping lanes crisscrossing the Indian Ocean.

"Sri Lankan territory will not be used against any other nation," Ratnayake told AFP. 

"We are fully aware of the geopolitical situation in our region, but we will not participate”.

AUSTERITY REJECTED

Wickremesinghe sought re-election to continue the austerity policies that stabilised the economy and ended months of food, fuel and medicine shortages during Sri Lanka's economic meltdown.

His two years in office restored calm to the streets after civil unrest spurred by the downturn saw thousands storm the compound of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who then fled the country.

But Wickremesinghe's tax hikes and other measures imposed under the US$2.9 billion IMF rescue package he secured last year left millions struggling to make ends meet.

Official data showed that Sri Lanka's poverty rate doubled to 25 per cent between 2021 and 2022, adding more than 2.5 million people to those already living on less than US$3.65 a day.

Thousands of police were deployed to keep watch over voting on Saturday.

A temporary curfew was imposed after polls closed, despite police reporting that there had been no violence during or after balloting.

No victory rallies or celebrations are permitted until a week after the final results are declared.