Sri Lanka Presidential Election 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the newly elected President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake on winning the election. He said that I am looking forward to working closely with Dissanayake to further strengthen India-Sri Lanka multifaceted cooperation.
PM Modi’s congratulatory tweet
PM Modi shared a congratulatory post from his social media account. In this, he said, “Congratulations to Anura Dissanayake on your victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential election. Sri Lanka has a special place in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and vision. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region.”
I am heartily grateful
After winning the presidential election, Dissanayake said, the dream we have cherished for centuries is finally coming true. This victory is not the result of the hard work of a single person. Rather it is the collective effort of millions of people. Your commitment has brought us here and I am deeply grateful for this. This victory belongs to all of us.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake replied to PM Modi and thanked him. He wrote, “Thank you for your kind words and support, Prime Minister Modi. I agree with your commitment to strengthen the relationship between our countries. Together we can work towards increasing cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region.”
Who is Anura Kumara Dissanayake?
Anura Kumara Dissanayake is an MP from Colombo. He is currently the leader of the National People’s Power and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna parties. He contested the presidency as the candidate of the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, which also includes the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party. Dissanayake promised significant changes during the election campaign, including dissolving parliament within 45 days to seek a new mandate in the general election.
Sri Lanka Presidential Election: Anura Kumar Dissanayake becomes President of Sri Lanka, PM Modi congratulatesIt is worth noting that this is the first presidential election in Sri Lanka after a severe economic crisis in 2022. In April 2022, Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy amid severe shortage of food grains, fuel and other essential commodities. The then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee Sri Lanka and resign after months of protests in the country turned violent. A few weeks later, Parliament appointed Wickremesinghe as the new President.
