Early official results in Sri Lanka's presidential election show that Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake is leading, but he is still short of the 50% needed for victory. The election, held on Saturday, is crucial for the country as it seeks to recover from its worst economic crisis and political upheaval.
The election, contested by 38 candidates, was mainly a three-way race among Dissanayake, incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. Dissanayake is currently leading with 47% of total votes counted, followed by Premadasa with nearly 28% and Wickremesinghe with 15%.
