Sri Lanka presidential election

Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been elected as Sri Lanka's ninth president, marking a historic election that required a second round of vote counting due to no candidate achieving the necessary majority in the first round. The 56-year-old leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party garnered 5.7 million votes, defeating opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and eliminating incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe from contention. Dissanayake's campaign resonated with voters seeking change amid the country's worst economic crisis, with promises to dissolve parliament within 45 days and review the IMF debt agreement. His victory represents a rejection of the traditional political elite, which has been blamed for the nation's economic decline. Dissanayake expressed gratitude for the collective effort of his supporters in his victory speech, emphasizing the importance of unity in this significant moment for Sri Lanka's democracy. The Election Commission confirmed the results, solidifying a pivotal shift in the nation's leadership landscape.