Sri Lanka leftist candidate takes early lead in election count

A Sri Lankan leftist politician who’s pledged to fight corruption in the crisis-hit economy took a convincing early lead as votes were counted in Saturday’s presidential election.

With results of postal ballots in 18 of 22 electoral districts released so far, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was ahead with 55.9% of the vote, local media including Derana reported on Sunday morning, citing figures from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe had 19% of the vote, while opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, secured 20.6%.

A candidate needs to win 50% of the ballots cast to be declared a winner. Observers and some opinion surveys had predicted a close election with the potential of a run-off — the first time in the nation’s history. The Election Commission said Saturday it hoped to announce a result by Sunday.

The commission estimated about 75% of the nation’s 17 million voters turned out at the polling booths, according to local media reports. The president announced an overnight curfew while counting was taking place to prevent any possible incidents of violence. Monday was also declared a public holiday.

Foreign Minister M U M Ali Sabry offered his congratulations for Dissanayake. “Though I heavily campaigned for President Ranil Wickremasinghe, the people of Sri Lanka have made their decision, and I fully respect their mandate for Anura Kumara Dissanayake,” he said in a post on the X social media platform.

The election was the first since an economic crisis two years ago, when soaring inflation of about 70% and shortages of everything from food to energy led to widespread unrest, which forced then-leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.

Dissanayake, 55, leads the National People’s Power, a coalition of leftist political parties and groups backed by protesters who ousted Rajapaksa. He’s gained support among voters angry at the country’s political elite — represented by candidates like the incumbent Wickremesinghe — who they blame for dragging the economy into a crisis.

Popularly known by his initials AKD, Dissanayake’s coalition has pledged to combat corruption within the government, scrutinize loan deals from countries such as China and renegotiate a $3 billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Uncertainty about the election outcome has made investors nervous as they brace for possible delays in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring plan and the disbursement of funds from the IMF.

(Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Dan Strumpf and Jon Herskovitz contributed to this report.)