Marxist Dissanayake leads early vote count in Sri Lanka’s presidential election

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake leads early official results in Sri Lanka’s presidential election, according to tallies released on Sunday by the Election Commission, but he is still short of the 50% needed for victory.

The election held Saturday is crucial as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.

The election, contested by 38 candidates, was largely a three-way race among Dissanayake, incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Dissanayake, whose pro-working class and anti-political elite campaigning made him popular among youth, was leading with 47% of total votes counted, followed by Premadasa with nearly 28% and Wickremesinghe with 15%.

It was a strong showing for Dissanayake, who won just over 3% of votes in a previous presidential election in 2019, and suggests voters are fatigued with the old political guard, which has been accused of pushing Sri Lanka toward economic instability.

Wickremesinghe’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry congratulated Dissanayake on the social platform X and said he hopes Dissanayake will “lead with a commitment to transparency, integrity, and the long-term good of the country.”

“I wish Mr. Dissanayake and his team every success in their efforts to lead Sri Lanka forward,” Sabry added.

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However, neither Wickremesinghe nor Premadasa has conceded defeat.

If no