On 21st September, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)'s Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) was elected as the ninth executive president of Sri Lanka. The JVP - formed in the 1960s with its Marxist and Sinhala-nationalist ideology, launched two uprisings against the Sri Lankan state. It later joined mainstream politics and renounced violence in 1994. Yet, its presence was inconsequential till the economic crisis and the 2022 Aragalya moment. The crisis exacerbated public resentment against the traditional elites and resurfaced the demands for good governance, systemic reforms, transparency, and non-dynastic politics. These calls led to the subsequent ousting of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa; even his nominated successor - Ranil Wickremesinghe, could not secure one-fifth of the total votes in the recent elections despite ushering in some normalcy and signing the IMF agreement. By voting "outsider" AKD to power, some Sri Lankans see a hope to bring a much-needed change in the country, yet others express concerns taking the party's past into account.
What are the key takeaways from the recently-conducted elections? Where does Sri Lanka's domestic politics head from here? How will the new government manage its economy? What do the new government and its policies mean for its major partners like India and China? How will Sri Lanka navigate the geopolitical churning in the Indian Ocean for the next five years?
