5 facts about Anura Dissanayake, who is likely to become President of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has taken a lead in the presidential election by winning nearly 53 percent of the vote. According to Sri Lanka’s Election Commission, Dissanayake, who is contesting for the National People’s Power Alliance, has left behind opposition leader Sajith Premadasa (22 percent) and President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Here are some facts about Anura Kumara Dissanayake:

1. Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968 in Thambuthegama, Sri Lanka. His father was a laborer and his mother was a housewife. He studied in local schools and was the first to gain admission to university from his college.
2. Dissanayake joined the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during his school days and became fully involved in politics during the JVP insurrection of 1987-1989. He initially studied at the University of Peradeniya but quit due to threats, later graduating from the University of Kelaniya in 1995 with a degree in Physics.
3. Anura Kumara Dissanayake rose through the ranks of the JVP and became a prominent figure in the party’s leadership. In 1995, he was appointed national organiser of the Socialist Students’ Association and joined the JVP’s Central Working Committee. By 1998, he had gained a prominent position in the JVP Politburo. During this time, the JVP re-entered mainstream politics under the leadership of Somawansha Amarasinghe and initially supported the government of Chandrika Kumaratunga, although he soon became a vocal critic of her administration.
4. In 2004, Dissanayake became a cabinet minister in President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government, where he handled agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation. However, in 2005, he and other JVP ministers resigned in protest against a joint agreement between the government and the LTTE to coordinate tsunami relief.
5. Dissanayake became the leader of the JVP in 2014 succeeding Somawansha Amarasinghe and contested as the JVP’s presidential candidate in 2019, finishing third with 3 percent of the votes. He announced another presidential bid for the 2024 elections under the National People’s Power (NPP). Known for his critical stance on Sri Lanka’s economic policies, Dissanayake has opposed IMF conditionalities, advocating renegotiation to reduce taxes such as the pay-as-you-earn tax and abolish VAT on essential goods. His policies focus on enhancing social welfare and supporting businesses through targeted taxation reforms.