COLOMBO: Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is all set to be Sri Lanka’s new president. Reports said that he has won 57 percent of the votes counted so far. Incumbent President Renil Wickremesinghe is in the third place.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa is also far behind. There are 38 candidates in the fray. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has changed its form from a radical left party to a socialist party and entered the elections.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake secured a total of 57 percent votes in postal voting in seven of the 22 electoral districts. Anura Kumara Dissanayake continues to have a clear lead in the subsequent vote count when the report is finally received. 75 percent polling was recorded in the elections held at 13,000 polling stations across the country yesterday. The results of the survey were that Dissanayake would come first and Renil Wickramasinghe would be relegated to the third position.

Dissanayaka has considerable influence among the youth as a key leader of the popular uprising against the Rajapakse government. Dissanayake's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ran into the election with promises to eliminate corruption, review privatization, increase domestic production and expand welfare schemes.

Ranil Wickramasinghe took office after the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa following the severe economic crisis and the ensuing riots.