COLOMBO, Sept 23 (Askume) – Anura Kumara Dissanayake may not have the political legacy of some rivals but his leftist anti-poverty policies and commitment to fighting corruption helped him win the election on Sunday.
Although his Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna (JVP) party has only three seats in parliament, the 55-year-old candidate is buoyed by promises of tough anti-corruption measures and massive welfare programmes.
Dissanayake, popularly known as AKD , received 1.27 million votes more than his nearest rival, main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa . Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe came in third.
Premadasa is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated while in office. Wickremesinghe’s uncle JR Jayewardene is a former president and prime minister, and Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of two-time President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is also one of the 38 candidates competing.
Before Saturday’s election, Dissanayake said, “Some people think the power of their families will win this election, but on September 21, the power of families, the power of finance, the power of the media and the power of the government will win the election.” Defeated by the power of the people, he will be sworn in on Monday morning.
Dissanayake is contesting as a candidate in the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, which includes his JVP, which has historically supported Marxist economic policies centred on protectionism and state intervention.
In recent years the party has taken a more centrist stance.
Dissanayake drew huge crowds at election rallies and called on Sri Lankans to escape the pain of a severe economic crisis.
“This vote is against corruption and mismanagement. People are looking for transparency and efficiency in governance,” said Thirangana Weerasinghe, a 28-year-old businessman.
Dissanayake, a physics graduate from a small farming family in the southern town of Tambuttegama, had presented himself during the campaign as a candidate for change and proposed to dissolve parliament within about 45 days of taking power and promised to find a solution.
“We could see another election in the coming months,” said Bhavani Fonseka, a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo.
“We will have to see if he decides to continue as prime minister and cabinet or appoint his own government or a caretaker government.”
Dissanayake’s manifesto plans include revamping the debt restructuring plan at the centre of the International Monetary Fund’s $2.9 billion bailout and promising tax cuts and fiscal targets that will help investors and market participants boost confidence in his economy.
But during the campaign he took a more conciliatory stance, saying any changes would be made in consultation with the International Monetary Fund and pledging to ensure debt payments.
Dissanayake’s JVP led two rebellions against elected governments in 1971 and 1988, but thousands were killed when security forces suppressed the uprisings.
The party has since rejoined mainstream politics and Dissanayake, who was not the leader at the time, has not commented on the rebellion in recent years.
