Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been elected as Sri Lanka’s new President. The leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) secured the presidency in the 2024 elections winning 42.31% of the vote.
Also Read: Hong Kong Man Convicted Under National Security Law for Wearing Protest T-Shirt
Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968 in Galewela, a village in Sri Lanka. At the age of four, he moved to Kekirawa, where he grew up in a middle-class family. Dissanayake was the first student from his school to qualify for university, earning a degree in physics.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake early academic success laid the foundation for his involvement in student politics. He became involved in political activism during the 1990s, advocating for Marxist and communist ideas that gained traction among the youth. His association with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) began during this period.
In 1997, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was appointed the national organizer of the Socialist Youth Organization, the youth wing of the JVP, which gave him national prominence. By 1998, he had joined the politburo of the JVP, its top decision-making body.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s political breakthrough came in 2004 when he was elected to parliament representing the Kurunegala district. He later became a cabinet minister in the coalition government under President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake resigned from his ministerial post a year later. Dissanayake assumed leadership of the JVP in 2014, succeeding Somawansa Amarasinghe. Under his leadership, the party continued its focus on anti-corruption, social justice and economic equality.
The JVP was historically a Marxist-oriented organization that led two insurrections against the Sri Lankan government in the 1970s and 1980s.
In a 2014 interview, he acknowledged that many acts committed during the conflict should not have happened.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake first ran for president in 2019 but gained only 3% of the vote. However, this did not deter his political ambitions and he continued to build momentum in the following years.
In the 2024 election, Anura Kumara Dissanayake ran on a platform of anti-corruption, economic reform and social justice. His campaign was seen as a hope for many Sri Lankans in the aftermath of the 2022 economic collapse.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 42.31% of the vote, defeating opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who received 32.76%. Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who implemented harsh measures as part of an IMF bailout, came in third with 17.27% of the vote.
One of Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s central campaign promises was to break the cycle of corruption and mismanagement that has plagued Sri Lankan politics.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake promised to reverse the tax hikes introduced by the Wickremesinghe government, which were part of austerity measures that left many Sri Lankans struggling.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s campaign addressed the need to expand welfare programs to support the country’s poor and vulnerable populations.
Also Read: Melbourne Protests: Clashes Between Protesters and Police at Australian Defense Expo
Anura Kumara Dissanayake reassured voters that he would work in consultation with the International Monetary Fund to ensure that Sri Lanka remained on track with its debt repayment obligations.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake has repeatedly stated that one of his first acts as president would be to dissolve the current parliament and call for fresh elections. He said that the existing parliament no longer represented the will of the people and that a fresh mandate was necessary to carry out his reforms.
The NPP’s manifesto addressed the need for reforms in Sri Lanka’s education and healthcare systems. Dissanayake promised to invest in public services to improve access to quality education and healthcare for all citizens.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pledged to hold a thorough investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed nearly 300 people. He suggested that previous governments had obstructed investigations due to their own involvement or negligence.
After years of corruption, economic mismanagement and the 2022 economic collapse, many Sri Lankans saw him as a candidate who could bring about real change.
Approximately 76% of Sri Lanka’s 17.1 million eligible voters participated in the 2024 election.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s stance on Tamil minority issues has been controversial. He has warned Tamil audiences about being perceived as opposing political change in the country.
In an election campaign, he urged Tamils to become stakeholders in the nation’s future and warned them of the consequences if they were seen as resisting the changes being driven by the majority in the South.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s JVP has opposed the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, both of which were designed to devolve power to the Tamil-majority regions in the North-East.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s political ideology has often positioned him as a critic of India’s influence in Sri Lanka. His party has condemned the Tamil-origin estate workers from India labeling them as instruments of Indian expansionism.
The JVP has also opposed agreements like the Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was designed to boost trade between India and Sri Lanka.
One contentious issue has been Dissanayake’s opposition to any efforts to return the Katchatheevu island, a disputed territory to India.
However, New Delhi has engaged with Dissanayake, inviting him and other JVP leaders on an official tour earlier in 2024.
Also Read: Algeria’s Abdelmadjid Tebboune Re-Elected with 94% of Votes
