Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning Dissanayake promises change as his popularity soars
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An opinion poll published in September showed Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake was leading in voting preferences at 36 per cent.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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COLOMBO – Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake may lack the political lineage of some of his rivals, but his leftist policies to help the poor and his stirring speeches have made him a leading candidate in Sri Lanka’s presidential election on Sept 21.
Although Mr Dissanayake’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party has just three seats in Parliament, the 55-year-old candidate has been boosted by his promises of tough anti-corruption measures and bigger welfare schemes.
An opinion poll published in September showed that Mr Dissanayake, popularly known as AKD, was leading in voting preferences at 36 per cent, followed by main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and President Ranil Wickremesinghe at third.
Mr Premadasa is the son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated in office.
Mr Wickremesinghe’s uncle J.R. Jayewardene was a former president and prime minister, and Mr Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of two-time president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has also thrown his hat into the ring.
“There are people who think their family power will win this election but on Sept 21, that family power, financial power, media power and state power will be defeated by people’s power,” Mr Dissanayake said on Sept 18 during his final rally.
Mr Dissanayake is running as candidate for the National People’s Power alliance, which includes his Marxist-leaning JVP party that has traditionally backed stronger state intervention and more closed market economic policies.
He has drawn big crowds at rallies, calling on Sri Lankans to leave behind the suffering of a deep economic crisis that triggered widespread protests and forced then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country
JVP led two failed insurrections – in 1971 and 1988 – against elected governments, leading to the deaths of thousands as security forces crushed the rebellions.
The party has since embraced mainstream politics, and Mr Dissanayake, who was not a leader at the time, has not commented on the insurrections in recent years.
His manifesto plans, which include reworking a debt restructuring programme at the core of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) US$2.9 billion (S$3.7 billion) bailout and a pledge to slash taxes that would impact fiscal targets, have raised worries among investors and market participants about his economic policies.
However, during campaign speeches he has taken a more conciliatory approach, saying any changes would be undertaken in consultation with the IMF and that he is committed to ensuring repayment of debt.
He has presented himself in campaigning as the candidate of change, promising to dissolve Parliament within about 45 days of coming to power and to seek a fresh mandate in the general election for his policies.
“He has been in politics for a while and is not a newcomer. He is appealing to people looking for something different,” said Ms Bhavani Fonseka, senior researcher at Colombo’s Centre for Policy Alternatives.
“He is a newer face and he knows how to speak to people on what they are going through.”
There are 38 candidates in the fray.
Sri Lanka’s system allows voters to cast three preferential votes for their chosen candidates, with the candidate securing 50 per cent of the votes or more declared winner.
If no candidate wins 50 per cent in the first round, then preferential votes are tallied for the top two candidates to determine the winner. REUTERS
