Agency photo
Marxist-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake has taken his oath as Sri Lanka’s new president after he was declared the winner of Saturday’s election.
Dissanayake took his oath at the Presidential Secretariat building in Colombo early Monday morning.
He said he understood the complexity of the problems facing Sri Lanka and would work hard to realise people’s hopes and win the confidence of all Sri Lankans.
“I will do my best to fully restore the people’s confidence in politicians,” Dissanayake said after taking the oath.
“I am not a conjurer, I am not a magician,” he added. “There are things I know and things I don’t know, but I will seek the best advice and do my best. For that, I need the support of everyone.”
The 55-year-old leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) party and the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidency with 42.31 percent of the vote, according to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. --Al Jazeera
