Dissanayaka leads in Sri Lanka's presidential vote defeating Premsada

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the Marxist JVP's broader front National People's Power (NPP), has consolidated his lead to be declared the winner in just concluded Sri Lanka's crucial presidential election.

On Saturday, Sri Lankans voted to elect a new president for the first election since the economic meltdown in 2022.

The voter turnout in the presidential election was around 75 per cent. Lower than the 83 per cent polled in the previous presidential election held in November 2019.

In the cumulative vote count declared by 7 am on Sunday, 56-year-old Dissanayake amassed 727,000 votes or 52 per cent against his nearest rival 57-year-old Sajith Premadasa, the main opposition leader who received 333,000 votes at 23 per cent.

The incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75, was trailing way behind with 235,000 votes at 16 per cent.

Dissanayake won 21 of the 22 postal district votes while bagging several results declared thus far from the 168 geographical parliamentary seats from ...