Marxist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s president on Monday while the country is facing a severe economic crisis.
Dissanayake, 55, head of the National People’s Power coalition, defeated President Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and 35 other candidates.
The election occurred as Sri Lanka aims to recover from an economic crisis that caused severe shortages of essential goods in 2022.
This crisis triggered massive protests, ultimately leading to the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
In his inaugural speech, Dissanayake pledged to collaborate with others to address the country’s challenges.
“We have deeply understood that we are going to get a challenging country,” Dissanayake stated.
He emphasized that a single party or individual cannot resolve the deep crisis.
Dissanayake is the ninth person to hold Sri Lanka’s powerful executive presidency, established in 1978.
However, political analyst Dayan Jayatilleka noted that Dissanayake may face challenges as the first president without a majority vote.
“It’s not an insurmountable obstacle,” Jayatilleka said, suggesting the need for consensus in politics.
Dissanayake’s coalition is led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Marxist party that previously attempted armed insurrections.
Since entering democratic politics in 1994, the JVP has mainly been in opposition but has supported previous presidents.
The NPP coalition also includes representatives from academia, civil society movements, artists, lawyers, and students.
Just before the swearing-in, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned, allowing Dissanayake to appoint a new prime minister and cabinet.
Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Dissanayake, expressing hopes for a collaborative future.
The U.S. and India also extended their congratulations to the new president.
Dissanayake first entered Parliament in 2000 and briefly served as agriculture and irrigation minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
He ran for president in 2019 but lost to Rajapaksa.
His immediate challenge will be addressing austerity measures imposed by Wickremesinghe under an IMF relief agreement.
Wickremesinghe has warned that altering the agreement could delay the release of nearly USD 3 billion in funds.
The economic crisis resulted from excessive borrowing, the COVID-19 pandemic, and government efforts to support the rupee with limited foreign reserves.
Dissanayake has also pledged to dissolve parliament, where his party currently holds only three of 225 seats.