Dissanayake's victory in Sri Lanka a 'historic occasion', says CPI(M)

New Delhi: on Monday congratulated the people of Sri Lanka for voting decisively and electing Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the country's new president.

The victory of a Left candidate in the presidential election for the first time in Sri Lanka's history is a historic occasion, it said.

Dissanayake, a Marxist leader, was sworn in as Sri Lanka's ninth president earlier in the day.

The CPI(M) Politburo said in a statement that it was confident Dissanayake would lead the country on the path of socio-economic development, progress and welfare.

"The Communist Party of India (Marxist) congratulates the people of Sri Lanka for voting decisively in the presidential elections held after their massive struggle, Aragalaya," the CPI(M) said.

The 2022 Sri Lankan protests, popularly called Aragalaya, were a series of mass protests against the country's government, triggered by an economic crisis.

"Anura Dissanayake, leader of the JVP and the National Peoples' Power (NPP), was elected as the ninth executive president of Sri Lanka in these elections. The victory of a Left candidate in the presidential election, for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, is a historic occasion," the CPI(M) said.

"We are confident that President Anura Dissanayake would lead the country on the path of socio-economic development, progress and welfare, ensuring the rights of the minorities. We wish him all the very best in his endeavours," it said.