COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, was sworn into office on Monday, marking a historic shift in leadership as he became the first leftist president of the island nation. Dissanayake’s rise to power comes as Sri Lanka seeks to recover from its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years, a crisis that fueled public discontent with the long-dominant political families.
At 55, Dissanayake secured a landslide victory after millions of Sri Lankans rallied behind his platform of fighting corruption and his promise to drive the country’s fragile economic recovery. In his inaugural address at the president’s office, Dissanayake reaffirmed his commitment to democracy, vowing to restore public faith in politics. “Our politics needs to be cleaner, and the people have called for a different political culture,” he said. “I am ready to commit to that change.”
Outside, crowds of supporters celebrated his victory, holding up posters with his image and chanting his initials, “AKD.” One supporter, Iroma Nilanthi Liyanage, expressed her joy, saying, “For the first time, the poor people have someone who stands for them.”
Dissanayake’s immediate challenges include forming a new cabinet and navigating a parliament where his party holds only three of 225 seats. He also faces the complex task of passing a budget that aligns with the terms of the $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), crucial for stabilizing the economy. Investors are particularly concerned about Dissanayake’s Marxist-leaning views and potential moves to revisit the IMF bailout terms, which could delay future financial disbursements and lead to renegotiations with bondholders.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, making way for a new cabinet under Dissanayake’s leadership. Gunawardena, 75, had taken over as prime minister in July 2022 after former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid protests sparked by the economic crisis.
Despite investor concerns, Dissanayake received congratulations from neighboring nations, including India, Pakistan, and the Maldives, along with China, Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor. As the new president takes the reins, he carries the hopes of millions for a cleaner and more transparent political system, while also navigating the monumental task of steering Sri Lanka out of its economic turmoil.–News Desk