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Crisis-hit Sri Lanka gets leftist president who vows to curb corruption, help the poor
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Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Sri Lanka's new President from the National People's Power coalition, leaves his office on Sept 22.
REUTERS
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka has voted in its first leftist president amid a crushing economic crisis. As counting of votes stretched late into the evening on Sept 22 in a nail-biting finish, Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55, emerged as the decisive winner with more than 5.7 million votes.
In this presidential election, the first since Sri Lanka plunged into bankruptcy in April 2022, millions seemed to have voted not just for a new leader, but also the promise of a new political system.
