Left-leaning candidate leads Sri Lanka presidential race

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a leftist politician, has taken a commanding lead in Sri Lanka's presidential election.

The election on Saturday is the first to be held since mass protests unseated the country's leader, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in 2022 after the country suffered its worst economic crisis.

Dissanayake promised voters tough anti-corruption measures and good governance - messages that have resonated strongly with voters who have been clamouring for systematic change since the crisis.

Early results on Sunday morning showed Dissanayake with a commanding lead, winning close to 50% of votes counted. A candidate needs 51% of the total vote to be declared the winner.

Mr Premadasa is in second place with nearly 26% of the total vote. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is seeking a second term, has so far received 16% while Namal Rajapaksa, the nephew of the ousted president has got close to 3%.

Seventeen million Sri Lankans were eligible to vote on Saturday.

Voting proceeded peacefully, although authorities declared a curfew on Sunday morning which was extended until until noon local time (0:630 GMT).

Dissanayake has already received messages of congratulations from supporters of his two main rivals, incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said on X that early results clearly pointed to a victory by Dissanayake.

"Though I heavily campaigned for President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the people of Sri Lanka have made their decision, and I fully respect their mandate for Anura Kumara Dissanayake," he said.

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

“We campaigned hard for @sajithpremadasa but it was not to be. It is now clear @anuradisanayake will be the new President of #SriLanka," said de Silva, who represents Colombo in parliament.

Another Premadasa supporter, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesman MA Sumanthiran, said Dissanayake delivered an "impressive win" without relying on "racial or religious chauvinism".