Sri Lanka Marxist candidate takes early lead in presidential vote

Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, the presidential candidate of Sri Lanka’s National People’s Power party, is leading in the presidential election based on early results from postal ballots. The election has become a referendum on the current president’s austerity measures, with Dissanayaka vowing to renegotiate an unpopular IMF agreement. Voter turnout was high at 76% of the electorate. If elected, Dissanayaka would be the country’s first Marxist head of state. Results are expected to be finalized later on Sunday. The incumbent president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is seeking a fresh term to continue his economic stabilization efforts.