Anura Kumar Dissanayake sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new President

Colombo: Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday took oath as Sri Lanka’s new president and said he will usher in a “Renaissance” for his country.

Dissanayake, 56, was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s ninth president by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at the Presidential Secretariat.

In his inaugural address to the nation, Dissanayake thanked his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe for respecting the people’s mandate and facilitating a peaceful transfer of power.

“I assure you that I will do my best to preserve democracy and work towards restoring the honour of politicians as people have misgivings about their conduct,” Dissanayake said in an address after taking the oath.

Dissanayake stressed Sri Lanka cannot remain in isolation and needed international cooperation.

He said he is not a magician, but his objective is to be part of a collective responsibility to elevate the economic crisis-stricken country.

“I’m not a magician. I’m an ordinary citizen born in this country. I have abilities and shortcomings. I have things I know and don’t know. My first task is to make use of people’s talents and know-how and make better decisions to lead this country,” he said.

“I want to be a contributor to that collective responsibility,” he added.

Later in a post on X after the swearing-in ceremony, Dissanayake said, “I promise to fulfill your responsibility to usher in a new era of Renaissance for this country, and I look forward to your collective contribution to that.”

In another post, he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his congratulatory message and said he shared the Indian leader’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

“Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for your kind words and support. I share your commitment to strengthening the ties between our nations.

Together, we can work towards enhancing cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and the entire region,” Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake, clad in a white long-sleeved tunic and black trousers, received blessings from the Buddhist clergy present after the ceremony.

Dissanayake, the leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party’s broader front National People’s Power (NPP), defeated his closest rival Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in Saturday’s election. The election was the first to be held since mass protests unseated Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022 after the country suffered an economic crisis.