Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new leader

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Marxist-leaning leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP), has taken the reins as Sri Lanka’s new president, marking a historic moment in the nation’s politics.

Sworn in at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo early Monday, Dissanayake’s rise from revolutionary student leader to president signifies a shift in Sri Lanka’s political landscape, fueled by public discontent and calls for reform.

After being declared the winner of Saturday’s election with 42.31% of the vote, Dissanayake, 55, acknowledged the magnitude of the challenges facing the nation. “I will do my best to fully restore the people’s confidence in politicians,” he stated, adding, “I am not a conjurer, I am not a magician. There are things I know and things I don’t know, but I will seek the best advice and do my best. For that, I need the support of everyone.”

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Dissanayake’s victory comes at a crucial juncture for Sri Lanka, following the tumultuous exit of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022 amid widespread protests and an economic collapse. His promise to tackle corruption and cleanse Sri Lankan politics resonated with voters, many of whom are weary of the austerity measures imposed under outgoing president Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Once at the helm of two violent rebellions in the 1970s and 1980s, the JVP, under Dissanayake’s leadership, has shifted away from its militant past. Despite its radical roots, the party has reemerged with a focus on transparency and reform, appealing to a public eager for change. Dissanayake, who counts Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara among his inspirations, has since softened his economic policies, advocating for an open economy and showing openness to privatization.

The new president’s past, however, remains an important part of his identity. A former student leader during the JVP’s second insurrection, Dissanayake has often recounted how a teacher protected him from government death squads that targeted activists. Now, as Sri Lanka’s head of state, he faces the challenge of transforming that revolutionary spirit into practical governance, as he seeks to steer the country toward stability and regain the trust of a weary populace.