Sri Lanka’s first leftist president takes his oath of office

Sri Lanka’s first leftist president takes his oath of office after winning a landslide in the country’s Saturday vote.
Anura Kumara Dissanayaka from the People's Liberation Front will succeed incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, who came in third in the election. Dissanayaka takes the helm amid an economic crisis that goes back to 20-22. His predecessor has negotiated a deal with the International Monetary Fund to cope with the crisis. The new president has vowed to adhere to the rescue package. He has promised, however, to protect Sri Lanka’s poorest from the impact of austerity measures under the bail-out deal. Dissanayaka has also promised reforms in the manufacturing, agriculture and IT sectors.