Sri Lanka's Marxist-leaning Dissanayake promises change as his popularity soars
By Sudipto Ganguly and Uditha Jayasinghe
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Anura Kumara Dissanayake may lack the political lineage of some of his rivals, but his leftist policies to help the poor and stirring speeches have made him a leading candidate in Sri Lanka's presidential election on Saturday.
Although Dissanayake's Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna (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 this month showed Dissanayake, popularly known as AKD, was leading in voting preferences at 36%, followed by main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and President Ranil Wickremesinghe at third.
Premadasa is the son of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated in office. Wickremesinghe's uncle J R Jayewardene was a former president and prime minister, and 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," Dissanayake said on Wednesday during his final rally.
Dissanayake is running as candidate for the National People's Power (NPP) 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 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country of 22 million people in 2022.
Dissanayake's JVP led two failed insurrections - in 1971 and 1988 - against elected governments that led to deaths of thousands as security forces crushed the rebellions. The party has since embraced mainstream politics and 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 $2.9 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 elections 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 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% of the votes or more declared winner. If no candidate wins 50% in the first round, then preferential votes are tallied for the top two candidates to determine the winner.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly and Uditha Jayasinghe; Editing by Frances Kerry)
