Sri Lanka's president-elect Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, gestures upon his arrival at the Election Commission office in Colombo on Sunday, September 22, 2024, after his victory in the country's presidential election. Outgoing Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on September 22, congratulated his Marxist rival Anura Kumara Dissanayaka for winning the island nation's presidential polls. - AFP
COLOMBO (Reuters): Sri Lankans elected Marxist-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake as new president on Sunday, putting faith in his pledge to fight corruption and bolster a fragile economic recovery following the South Asian nation's worst financial crisis in decades.
Dissanayake, 55, who does not possess political lineage like some of his rivals in the presidential election, led from start to finish during the counting of votes, knocking out incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
