Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in; says he is no magician 

Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s victory marks a shift in Sri Lankan politics, away from the country’s traditional parties and political elite

Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday (September 23, 2024) promised to strengthen democracy and “work hard to win people’s trust”, with the disclaimer that he is no “magician”.

“I am not a magician; I am not a miracle-worker. There are things I know and don’t know. But I will commit myself to doing the right thing at all times, and lead a collective effort to rebuild our nation,” he said, in his first address as President, just after being sworn in at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. It is the building that protesters stormed in July 2022, as they ousted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa amid a severe financial meltdown.

Mr. Dissanayake, 55, takes over the country’s top office when the island nation struggles to put a crippling economic crisis behind it. Scores of poor families are looking for urgent relief from the everyday economic strain amid high living costs and utility bills that shot up as part an IMF-led programme that introduced painful austerity measures.

Mr. Dissanayake secured 42.31 % of the votes to win the September 21 presidential election, that he closely fought with Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. His National People’s Power (NPP) Alliance campaigned on a plank of anti-corruption and has promised to change the country’s political culture.  Mr. Dissanayake’s victory marks a shift in Sri Lankan politics, away from the country’s traditional parties and political elite. He leads the NPP’s chief political constituent, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People’s Liberation Front), a party with Marxist-Leninist ideology.    

Although Mr. Dissanayake emerged winner in the national election, he did not secure the majority vote share among the country’s ethnic minority communities, especially the Tamils of the north and east. In a message apparently targeting them and others who voted for his rivals, he said: “Democracy helped me win. Some voted for me, and others didn’t. But my pledge is to work hard to win the trust of those who didn’t vote for me as well. This is an important part of my Presidency.” Further, he pledged support to businesses and said he would work with all international actors, while keeping Sri Lanka’s best interests in mind.

President Dissanayake on Monday (September 23, 2024) appointed secretaries to various ministers. He is expected to appoint a new Cabinet on Tuesday (September 24, 2024), Colombo-based political sources said.

Published - September 23, 2024 08:54 pm IST