Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in as Sri Lankan president

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka offering prayers after his swearing-in ceremony, in Colombo. Pic/AFP

Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka's president on Monday after an election that saw voters reject an old guard accused of leading the country into economic crisis.

Dissanayake, 55, who ran as head of the Marxist-leaning National People's Power coalition, defeated opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and 36 other candidates. He received 5,740,179 votes, followed by Premadasa with 4,530,902.

Chinese president Xi Jinping congratulated Dissanayake, saying he looks forward to working together. The US and India congratulated him earlier.

PM Gunawardena resigns

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned on Monday as part of a power transition in the country. The resignation came ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Gunawardena, 75, was prime minister since July 2022.

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