Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake leads Sri Lanka’s presidential election, surpassing incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Dissanayake has 39% of votes, followed by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa with 34%. The election, crucial for economic recovery, saw 38 candidates but was mainly a three-way race. No candidate secured over 50%, triggering a second round of counting. Dissanayake’s strong performance reflects voter fatigue with the old political guard. Wickremesinghe’s Foreign Minister congratulated Dissanayake, while Premadasa has not conceded. The election was a referendum on Wickremesinghe’s leadership amid economic crisis.