Left-leaning candidate leads Sri Lanka presidential race

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a leftist politician, has taken a commanding pb successful Sri Lanka's statesmanlike election.

The predetermination connected Saturday is the archetypal to beryllium held since wide protests unseated the country's leader, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, successful 2022 aft the state suffered its worst economical crisis.

Dissanayake promised voters pugnacious anti-corruption measures and bully governance - messages that person resonated powerfully with voters who person been clamouring for systematic alteration since the crisis.

Early results connected Sunday greeting showed Dissanayake with a commanding lead, winning adjacent to 50% of votes counted. A campaigner needs 51% of the full ballot to beryllium declared the winner.

Mr Premadasa is successful 2nd spot with astir 26% of the full vote. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is seeking a 2nd term, has truthful acold received 16% portion Namal Rajapaksa, the nephew of the ousted president has got adjacent to 3%.

Seventeen cardinal Sri Lankans were eligible to ballot connected Saturday.

Voting proceeded peacefully, though authorities declared a curfew connected Sunday greeting which was extended until until noon section clip (0:630 GMT).

Dissanayake has already received messages of congratulations from supporters of his 2 main rivals, incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe and absorption person Sajith Premadasa.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said connected X that aboriginal results intelligibly pointed to a triumph by Dissanayake.

"Though I heavy campaigned for President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the radical of Sri Lanka person made their decision, and I afloat respect their mandate for Anura Kumara Dissanayake," helium said.

MP Harsha de Silva, who supported Premadasa, said helium has called Dissanayake to connection his congratulations.

“We campaigned hard for @sajithpremadasa but it was not to be. It is present wide @anuradisanayake volition beryllium the caller President of #SriLanka," said de Silva, who represents Colombo successful parliament.

Another Premadasa supporter, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson MA Sumanthiran, said Dissanayake delivered an "impressive win" without relying connected "racial oregon spiritual chauvinism".