Colombo, Sep 22: Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday was declared winner of the Sri Lankan presidential election by the country’s Election Commission after an unprecedented second round of counting of votes.
Dissanayake, 56, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party’s broader front National People’s Power (NPP), defeated his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe was eliminated in the first round after he failed to become within the top two in the vote list.
NPP said Dissanayake will take oath on Monday. He will be the 9th president of the island nation.
Earlier, the Election Commission ordered a second round of counting after no candidate secured over 50 per cent votes needed to be declared the winner of Saturday’s election.
In the first round of counting, Dissanayake topped the chart by securing 42.31 per cent, followed Premadasa with 32.8 per cent and incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe getting only 17.27 per cent of votes. No election in Sri Lanka has ever progressed to the second round of counting. (PTI)
