Sri Lanka's Road to Change: Anura Kumara Dissanayake's Quest for Presidency

Two years after the 'Aragalaya' uprising that ousted Sri Lanka's president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake emerges as a prominent figure rallying against corruption and aiming to revive the economy. With rising political stock, Dissanayake seeks to channel public discontent towards meaningful change in the upcoming presidential election.

Two years after Sri Lanka's 'Aragalaya' uprising, which deposed the nation's president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emerged as a prominent figure aiming to fight corruption and revive the economy.

Dissanayake, widely known as AKD, is contesting to become South Asia's latest president, drawing on the public discontent that fueled mass protests in 2022. The former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was seen as a symbol of a corrupt class, leading to the economic collapse and shortages of essentials.

The National People's Power alliance, led by Dissanayake, promises to bring the changes demanded by the Aragalaya movement. He currently leads voting preferences, followed by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Economist Dhananath Fernando from Advocata Institute says people are ready for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to overhaul the system.

(With inputs from agencies.)