SRI Lanka's new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has taken his oath of office, promising to "rewrite history" for a country that is recovering from its worst economic crisis.
The 55-year-old beat off his nearest rival, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, to emerge as the clear winner after a historic second round of counting, which included second-preference votes. Outgoing president Ranil Wickremesinghe trailed in third.
The once-fringe leader, whose party won less than four percent of the vote in parliamentary elections four years ago, saw a surge of support as the economic meltdown forced widespread hardships upon Sri Lankans.
Saturday's election was the first since 2022, when discontent over the economy fuelled mass protests and chased former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from power.
Dissanayake has received messages of congratulations from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the US State Department. - September 23, 2024
