Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Dissanayake's political career gained momentum in 1997 when he became the national organiser of the JVP’s Socialist Youth Organization. By 2000, he was elected as a Member of Parliament and later took over the party’s leadership in 2014. Under his stewardship, the JVP moved away from its militant past and rebranded itself as a party focused on anti-corruption, economic reforms, and addressing the needs of the working class, which resonated deeply amid Sri Lanka’s economic crisis in the 2020s.

His victory in the 2024 election, with 42.31% of the vote, reflected widespread public dissatisfaction with the political elite, especially in the wake of the Rajapaksa family's downfall and the economic collapse that followed. Dissanayake's leadership of the JVP has been marked by pragmatic shifts, steering the party from hardline Marxism to a more centrist, democratic approach while maintaining its anti-imperialist roots. His presidency signals a historic shift for Sri Lanka, with the JVP leading the country for the first time in decades. However, concerns remain about the party’s readiness to govern and its ability to adapt fully to democratic norms.