Sri Lanka’s Marxist candidate takes an early lead in the presidential election

• Final election results are expected later on Sunday.
• The polls turned into a referendum on the president’s austerity measures.
• Dissanayaka promised to renegotiate the unpopular IMF deal.

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Marxist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayaka took an early lead in Saturday’s presidential election as postal ballots were counted, official results showed.

Dissanayaka had 60.21% of the 164,000 votes counted, out of just over 700,000. Civil servants participating in the conduct of elections are entitled to post their ballots, which are the first to be counted.

About 76 percent of the 17.1 million-strong electorate took part in Saturday’s vote, with final results expected later on Sunday.

The election turned into a referendum on current President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s austerity measures, implemented under a $2.9 billion bailout loan he secured from the IMF early last year.

Dissanayaka, 55, had vowed to renegotiate the unpopular IMF deal, under which Wickremesinghe had doubled income taxes, removed energy subsidies and raised prices.

Initial results showed opposition leader Sajith Premadasa with 19.98, almost neck and neck with Wickremesinghe who had 18.59%.

If elected, Dissanayaka would be Sri Lanka’s first Marxist head of state. Authorities declared an eight-hour afternoon curfew across the country, while results were announced by manual counting, as Sri Lanka does not have electronic voting.

Wickremesinghe is seeking a new term to continue his austerity measures after claiming credit for stabilizing the economy after a crushing default on the national debt in 2022.