Anura Kumara Dissanayake: What does the victory of the leftist leader mean in Sri Lanka, which is facing an economic crisis?
For the first time in the history of Sri Lankan presidential elections, a leftist leader has got the reins of power. JVP leader Anura Dissanayake has been sworn in as the 9th President of Sri Lanka. Anura was the main face of the public revolt due to the economic crisis about 2 years ago, during which he became a strong voice of the people, this revolt forced the Rajapaksa family to leave power.
After this, the craze of Anura Dissanayake started increasing among the youth and rural areas of Sri Lanka, the result of 2 years of struggle was that the party which got 3 percent votes in the 2019 presidential election, managed to win the 2024 election with 42.31 percent votes. At the same time, Disanayake made it clear in his first address to the country after taking oath that economic reforms and creating a corruption-free image are the priorities of his government.
What does the victory of the leftist leader mean in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka has been battling a major economic crisis for a long time. The Rajapaksa family is considered responsible for the economic and political crisis in 2022, which is why their family candidate Namal Rajapaksa had to face a crushing defeat in this election. Apart from this, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over the reins of the country after the economic crisis, has also had to bear the brunt of his proximity to the Rajapaksa family. This is the first presidential election in the history of Sri Lanka since 1982 when a leftist leader reached the pinnacle of power. In such a situation, Sri Lanka, which is trapped in an economic crisis, is expecting a change in both policy and destiny from Anura Dissanayake.
- The public in favor of economic reform and change
Anura Dissanayake has become the President of Sri Lanka after winning a tough contest. He kept his election campaign focused on improving and changing the economy. This is the reason why his popularity increased among the rural areas and the youth. Anura is a leftist leader and the reflection of leftist ideas will be seen in the work and policies of his government, however, getting the country out of the economic crisis will be a big challenge for him, and for this, he has expressed his commitment to continue the agreement with the IMF.
After taking the oath, Dissanayake has also given indications about the policies of the government in his first address. He said that Sri Lanka cannot remain isolated and it needs international cooperation. Dissanayake says that he is not a magician but his aim is to be a part of the collective responsibility of uplifting the country which is facing an economic crisis.
- Corruption is a major issue for the people of Sri Lanka
During the election, Dissanayake had promised an anti-corruption message and a change in political culture, his promise attracted young voters who have long been demanding a change in Sri Lanka's political system. After casting his vote on Saturday, Dissanayake said, "Our country needs a new political system."
Apart from this, he has been raising questions on many projects of the Sri Lankan government during the election campaign. Dissanayake had accused the government of a lack of transparency and corruption in its functioning. In such a situation, taking action against the corrupt and creating a corruption-free image of his government will also be a big challenge for Anura Dissanayake.
- The tax burden on the poor may be reduced.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who came to power in Sri Lanka after the economic crisis, had made great efforts to reduce inflation, but it is believed that the increase in taxes as part of the agreement with the IMF turned the public against him. However, the IMF deal has improved Sri Lanka's economic crisis to a great extent. This year, growth is expected for the first time in three years and has come down to 0.5% from 70% during the economic crisis.
But millions of poor people in the country expect Dissanayake to improve the economy as well as cut taxes and reduce inflation. In such a situation, it will be a big task for Dissanayake to continue the IMF deal as well as provide relief to the public from the burden of taxes. The leftist party may give some relief to the public by imposing more taxes on rich industrialists, but looking at the current economic condition of Sri Lanka, it can be said that at present the focus of his government will be on repaying the foreign debt of 36 billion dollars so that the country's economy can be brought back on track.