Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake is leading the early official results in Sri Lanka’s presidential election, according to figures released by the Election Commission on Sunday (September 22). However, he has yet to secure the 50% threshold needed for outright victory. This election, held on Saturday, is pivotal for the country as it navigates recovery from its worst economic crisis and the resulting political turmoil.
In the cumulative vote count declared by 7 am today morning, Dissanayake, 56, secured 52% of the votes with 727,000 ballots cast in his favour. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa’s nearest rival garnered 333,000 votes (23%), while incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe trailed with 235,000 votes (16%).
The election on Saturday marked the first since Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic meltdown, with a voter turnout of around 75%. Dissanayake’s overwhelming victory came after he won 21 of the 22 postal districts and several parliamentary seats, signalling a dramatic political shift. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and opposition leader Harsha de Silva both extended their congratulations to Dissanayake.
Dissanayake’s NPP, which had previously captured only 3% of the vote in the 2020 parliamentary election, saw a massive surge in support, largely due to his campaign promise to reform Sri Lanka’s “corrupt” political culture and rebuild the battered economy.
The election, which took place on Saturday (September 21) from 7 am to 4 pm across 13,400 polling stations in 22 districts, featured a record number of 38 candidates, although none were women. Sri Lankan voters rank their top three choices, and if no candidate wins an outright majority, second and third-preference votes are counted in subsequent rounds.