Sri Lanka defaulted on $50 billion in external debt in 2022, pushing the populace towards an alternative candidate.

The National People's Power (NPP), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, clinched a historic victory in the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections on Friday, securing a two-thirds majority and dominating the Jaffna electoral district, which is the heartland of the country's Tamil minority, news agency PTI reported.

In a stunning political shift, Sri Lanka's leftist ruling coalition, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has secured a landslide victory in the 2024 snap parliamentary elections. With partial results showing Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) on track for a commanding majority,

Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968, in Thambuththegama, Sri Lanka, into a working-class family. His father was a labourer, and his mother a housewife. Mr Dissanayake was involved in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party during his school years and was the first student from the college chosen for admission into the university.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's sweeping coalition election win this week underlined widening support for his leftist policies, but he faces the test of steering the nation's recovery from a financial crisis with an inexperienced set of lawmakers.

Sri Lankan President Dissanayake's party wins majority, boosting his legislative power. Focus shifts to poverty and corruption reforms.

Voters have handed Anura Kumara Dissanayake a significant win in a snap general election, giving its new leftist president greater legislative power to pursue policies to alleviate poverty.