evidence: Voters resoundingly rejected incumbent president, opting for newcomer. In first presidential poll since country’s 2022 economic collapse held 21 Sept, head of leftist National People’s Power (NPP) alliance Anura Kumara Dissanayake secured 42.31% of vote to 32.76% for his closest rival, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB); incumbent president Wickremesinghe gained just 17.2%. Dissanayake won few votes from Tamil or Muslim majority electorates, while Premadasa secured 40% of Tamil minority’s vote in island’s north, east and central hill area. Dissanayake is first head of state not from country’s traditional centre-left or centre-right political blocs, or from English-speaking elite. During entirely peaceful election campaign, Dissanayake pledged root and branch reform of political system, crackdown on corruption and reworking of economic reforms mandated by International Monetary Fund (IMF).