Colombo, Sep 23 (IANS) Anura Dissanayake was on Monday sworn in as the ninth President of Sri Lanka, marking the first time a leftist leader has taken over as head of state. Dissanayake hails from the Marxist-minded Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya administered the oath to Dissanayake.
This election saw the counting of second preference votes for the presidential election for the first time. This happened after Dissanayake and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya candidate Sajith Premadasa failed to secure the required percentage of votes. Hence, the counting of second preference votes became necessary.
The final results were announced by the Election Commission at 7 pm on Sunday. According to the commission, Dissanayake won the presidency with 42.31 percent of the votes, while Premadasa came in second and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was eliminated after the first round, came in third.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Dissanayake on winning the presidential election.
“Congratulations to Anura Dissanayake on your victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. Sri Lanka has a special place in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and vision ‘SAGAR’. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region,” PM Modi said in a post on social media platform X late Sunday night.
Thanking Prime Minister Modi, Dissanayake posted, “PM Modi, thank you for your support. I share your commitment to strengthening ties between our countries. Together, we can work towards enhancing cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region.”
The Indian High Commissioner was one of the first people to meet Dissanayake after his victory was announced on Sunday.
India’s decisive political and economic support during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis of 2022 gave a huge boost to the relationship between the two countries. In a time of dire need, India provided US$4.5 billion in cash and resources, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to its neighbour.
–IANS
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