Marxist outsider takes oath as new Sri Lanka president
The Independent|September 24, 2024
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a Marxist-leaning politician and leader of the People’s Liberation Front – JVP or Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna – has been sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new president after winning the election with 42.31 per cent of the vote.
MAROOSHA MUZAFFAR
Marxist outsider takes oath as new Sri Lanka president

Yesterday, he pledged to address the country’s complex challenges, restore public confidence in politics, and tackle corruption. Mr Dissanayake, 55, led the Marxist-leaning National People’s Power coalition and secured victory over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and 36 other candidates in Saturday’s election.

He garnered 5,740,179 votes, while Mr Premadasa received 4,530,902 votes, and has pledged to work with other parties to turn around Sri Lanka’s severe economic troubles. “We have deeply understood that we are going to get a challenging country,” he said in a brief speech after assuming office on Monday. “We don’t believe that a government, a single party or an individual would be able to resolve this deep crisis.”

His victory follows a period of both political and fiscal turmoil that led to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation amid mass protests in 2022. Mr Rajapaksa fled the country and was replaced by his prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also ran in Saturday’s election but finished a distant third.

Mr Dissanayake’s meteoric rise from securing only 3 per cent of the vote in 2019 elevates his half-century-old leftist JVP party to an unprecedented role in the political landscape of Sri Lanka, which has been completely reshaped by grassroots protests over the past two years.

He was first elected to the parliament in 2000 and briefly served as the agriculture and irrigation minister under the then president Chandrika Kumaratunga. He ran for president for the first time in 2019 but lost to Mr Rajapaksa.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 24, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 24, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS THE INDEPENDENTAlle anzeigen
A day of prayers, heartfelt tales and pin-drop moments
The Independent

A day of prayers, heartfelt tales and pin-drop moments

It was a mark of how earnestly MPs approached the assisted dying bill that, I can reveal, some of the most firmly secular members of the House of Commons stood up during the private morning prayers rather than, as some do, sitting down in order to bag a seat without taking part in a religious ceremony.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 30, 2024
Assisted dying bill passes second reading by 55 votes
The Independent

Assisted dying bill passes second reading by 55 votes

Result paves way for historic change in British social policy

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 30, 2024
'Sometimes tears come out, you have to be an animal'
The Independent

'Sometimes tears come out, you have to be an animal'

Whether you want him to or not, 40-year-old heavyweight Derek Chisora isn’t ready to stop yet

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Legacy of 'transcendent' Senna finds another gear
The Independent

Legacy of 'transcendent' Senna finds another gear

There’s something about sport, and the global fandom the lead protagonists generate, which triggers a propensity to heroworship.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Misfiring Madrid struggling to find European safety net
The Independent

Misfiring Madrid struggling to find European safety net

After beating the team 20th in the Premier League, Liverpool defeated the side 24th in the Champions League. The similarities may end there: it is scarcely a surprise Southampton occupy that station in England. But Real Madrid, the reigning champions of Europe, find themselves 24th after five rounds.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Hojlund brace secures win in chaotic performance
The Independent

Hojlund brace secures win in chaotic performance

The banner in the Stretford End was written in Ruben Amorim’s native Portuguese. “Bem vindo a casa,” it read. Welcome home.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Insurance 'mega merger' is no great deal for consumers
The Independent

Insurance 'mega merger' is no great deal for consumers

The City loves a deal. Consumers, not so much. For them, a tieup between insurance giants Aviva and Direct Line, at a time when car insurance prices are at historic highs, is a far from enticing prospect.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Is the British car industry on the skids once more?
The Independent

Is the British car industry on the skids once more?

As Vauxhall plans to close its Luton plant putting 1,100 jobs at risk, Howard Mustoe asks if government policy is to blame

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Brat girl's down and dirty
The Independent

Brat girl's down and dirty

Charli XCX starts her victory lap in Manchester with a live show that’s as brazen as it is brilliant

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024
Obsession and darkness at centre of Hitchcock classic
The Independent

Obsession and darkness at centre of Hitchcock classic

The 1964 psychodrama Marnie’ was blighted by its director’s behaviour towards the lead star Tippi Hedren, resulting in dramatic results on and off screen

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 29, 2024