COLOMBO, Sept 23 (Alliance News): Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, Sri Lanka’s first leftist president, was sworn in on Monday with a commitment to restore public trust in politics amid the country’s ongoing economic challenges.
Representing the People’s Liberation Front (JVP), the self-proclaimed Marxist took his oath at the historic Presidential Secretariat following a decisive electoral victory.
At 55, Dissanayaka, a son of a laborer, emerged from relative obscurity as millions of Sri Lankans faced the aftermath of a severe economic downturn in 2022.
In a nationally televised ceremony attended by diplomats, lawmakers, and military personnel, he stated, “I am not a conjuror, I am not a magician, I am a common citizen,” emphasizing his responsibility to contribute to a collective effort to resolve the crisis.
Dissanayaka succeeds Ranil Wickremesinghe, who assumed the presidency during the peak of the financial crisis marked by a historic foreign debt default and severe shortages of essential goods. While Wickremesinghe’s austerity measures facilitated economic recovery, they left many citizens struggling.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned shortly before the inauguration, allowing Dissanayaka to form his own cabinet.
His party aims for an interim administration until new parliamentary elections, despite holding only three seats in the 225-member legislature.
While maintaining support for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rescue package negotiated by his predecessor, Dissanayaka seeks to modify its terms to deliver tax cuts.
He expressed a desire for international cooperation, stating, “We are not a nation that should be isolated,” as he aimed to rebuild the economy.
Reactions to Dissanayaka’s presidency have been positive, with leaders from India, China, and Pakistan extending their congratulations and expressing eagerness to strengthen bilateral ties.
Despite his party’s violent past during two rebellions in the 1970s and 1980s, Dissanayaka has positioned himself as a reformist aiming to change the “corrupt” political culture of Sri Lanka.
Notably, he was elected with just over 42% of the popular vote, the lowest for a Sri Lankan president since 1988.
