Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in as Sri Lanka’s president

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Sri Lanka’s new leader, sworn in as president and promises” clean” politics as the nation returns from its worst economic crises.

The left-leaning Dissanayake has portrayed himself as a industry of the status quo, and economists see his success as a rejection of corruption and cronyism that has plagued the nation for a long time.

The vote on Saturday marked the second since 2022, when widespread protests and the removal of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from electricity erupted.

” We need to create a new fresh social lifestyle”, he said. ” I commit to achieving this. We will do everything in our power to regain the trust and respect of the electorate.

The 55-year-old, who is familiarly known as AKD, told Sri Lankans that “democracy does n’t end with voting in a leader”.

” We need to develop democracy. I vow to accomplish my utmost to prevent democracy”, he said.

I’ve already stated that I’m a regular person, not a sorcerer. There are things I know and do n’t know. My goal is to collect people who have the knowledge and abilities to improve this nation.

At the conclusion of his discourse, Dissanayake received a Buddhist gift. Representatives of Sri Lanka’s another major religions- Islam, Hinduism and Christianity- were likewise present during the oath-taking, highlighting the fresh president’s emphasis on diversity.

In a speech on the day of the meeting, Dissanayake said the “unity of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and all Sri Lankans is the core of this innovative beginning”.

During the battle, Dissanayake promised citizens good leadership and strong anti-corruption measures.

He has promised to build Sri Lanka’s production, agriculture and IT industries. He has also pledged to carry out the agreement with the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) to help Sri Lanka escape the economic crisis while minimizing the impact of its austerity measures on the nation’s poorest.

Before Dissanayake was sworn in, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned, thereby facilitating the dissolution of parliament.

Dissanayake indicated in an earlier interview with BBC Sinhala that he would break parliament shortly after winning the election.

There is no point in continuing to have a parliament that does n’t conform to what the people want, he declared at the time.

No applicant was able to secure more than 50 % of the full vote in the first round, so Dissanayake prevailed. The counting slowed down to a second round on Sunday.

After the second and third-choice votes for president had been tallied, the Election Commission said Dissanayake had won with a full of 5, 740, 179 vote.

Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the opposition, placed following with 4, 530, and 902. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the incoming leader, received 2, 299, and 767 during the initial round of calculating, but he was exempt from the following round.

Wickremesinghe congratulated his son, saying:” With many love and respect for this beloved country, I give over its coming to the new leader”.

Until this week’s voting, all of Sri Lanka’s eight national elections since 1982 had seen the success emerge during the first round of calculating. This ballot has been described as one of the closest in the country’s history.

The anti-corruption program of Dissanayake’s anti-corruption system was well received by voters who have clamoured for sweeping reform since the crisis.

This gave him a chance to get over his political party’s violent past, the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP), which carried out two armed uprisings against the Sri Lankan state in the 1970s and 1980s.

Dissanayake’s ally, the National People’s Power – of which the JVP is a part – rose to prominence during the 2022 demonstrations, known as the Aragalaya – Sinhala for battle.

In addition, Dissanayake has attempted to lower the party’s hard-left stance in recent years.

The new president of the nation will have to rescue millions from devastating hunger and revive the economy simultaneously.

The Aragalaya revolt that removed Rajapaksa from the national palace in 2022 was fueled by an financial panic.

Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves at the time were exhausted, making it unable to buy essential goods like gas. Public debt reached$ 83 billion, and inflation reached a record high of 70 %.

This made basic necessities like food and healthcare costly for the average person.

The country’s financial sorrow has been blamed on key policy issues, weak exports and decades of under-taxation. This was exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis, which choked tourism, a vital financial vehicle.

Many individuals have also blamed corruption and incompetence, but, stoking fury against Rajapaksa and his family, who collectively ruled Sri Lanka for more than 10 years.

” The most significant concern is how to restore this economy”, Dr Athulasiri Samarakoon, a social scientist at the Open University of Sri Lanka, told the BBC Sinhala Service.

During his term Wickremesinghe secured a $2.9bn lifeline from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is crucial to opening additional funding channels but comes with strict economic and governance policy reforms.

According to the IMF’s instructions, Sri Lanka is changing the terms of its loan obligations to domestic and international creditors. The main focus has been the country’s$ 36bn worth of foreign debt, of which$ 7bn is owed to China, its largest bilateral creditor.

Like Dissanayake, Premadasa even pushed for IT growth, as well as the creation of 25 new business districts. He claimed that tourism should be promoted to make it the best foreign currency worker in the nation.

Wickremesinghe promised to increase tourist arrivals, create a national wealth fund, and create new economic zones to promote economic growth during the campaign.

More monitoring by BBC Sinhala