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Graphic shows details about Sri Lanka’s new president.
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POLITICS

Sri Lanka swears in new left-leaning president

September 23, 2024 - Sri Lanka’s new president Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been sworn into office, pledging to "rewrite history" for a country that is recovering from its worst economic crisis.

The left-leaning Dissanayake has cast himself as a disruptor of the status quo, and analysts see his victory as a rejection of corruption and cronyism that has long plagued the country.

Saturday's election was the first since 2022, when discontent over the economy fuelled mass protests and chased former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from power.

Dissanayake has promised to develop Sri Lanka's manufacturing, agriculture and IT sectors. He has also committed to continuing the deal struck with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail Sri Lanka out of the economic crisis while reducing the impact of its austerity measures on the country’s poorest, the BBC said.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 23/09/2024; STORY: Graphic News
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