Taking his oath: Dissanayaka (foreground) during his swearing-in ceremony in Colombo. — AFP
THE island nation’s first leftist president has been sworn into office, vowing to restore public faith in politics after anger over the unprecedented economic crisis propelled him to a landslide poll win.
Self-avowed Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayaka of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) took his oath at the colonial-era Presidential Secretariat in Colombo after trouncing his nearest rivals in Saturday’s vote.
The previously fringe politician – whose party led two failed uprisings that left tens of thousands dead – saw a surge of support after the country’s 2022 economic meltdown forced painful hardships on ordinary Sri Lankans.Dissanayaka, 55, was sworn in by the chief justice in a ceremony attended by lawmakers, members of the Buddhist clergy and the military who sang the national anthem after the ceremony.
“I will do my best to fully restore the people’s confidence in politicians,” Dissanayaka said after taking the oath. “I am not a conjurer, I am not a magician. There are things I know and things I don’t know, but I will seek the best advice and do my best. For that, I need the support of everyone.”
Dissanayaka succeeds outgoing president Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office at the peak of the financial crisis following the government’s first-ever foreign debt default and months of punishing food, fuel and medicine shortages.
Wickremesinghe, 75, imposed steep tax hikes and other austerity measures per the terms of an International Monetary Fund bailout. His policies ended the shortages and returned the economy to growth but left millions struggling to make ends meet.
“I can confidently say that I did my best to stabilise the country during one of its darkest periods,” he said after placing a distant third in Saturday’s poll.
Shortly before the ceremony, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned, clearing the way for Dissanayaka to appoint his own cabinet.
Dissanayaka’s party has said he wants to have his own cabinet until a fresh parliament is elected later this year. His JVP party has only three members in the 225- member parliament.
He has vowed to press ahead with the IMF rescue package negotiated by his predecessor last year but will modify its terms in order to deliver tax cuts.
“It is a binding document, but there is a provision to renegotiate,” Bimal Ratnayake, a senior member of Dissanayaka’s party, said. — AFP
