Anura Kumara Dissanayake

ABOUT ANURA KUMARA DISSANAYAKE

Sri Lankan leftist politician and leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the National People's Power (NPP) alliance, known for being the 10th President of Sri Lanka and for being the first president elected from a third party in 2024.

He began getting into politics when he was attending university. He joined the Socialist Students Union while he was at the University of Peradeniya, but he left the university after political unrest. He resumed his studies at the University of Kelaniya, where he eventually earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1995. He founded the National People's Power in 2019.

He has been a vocal advocate against corruption throughout his political career. He is an avid reader and has cited his admiration for authors like Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky .

He was born and raised in Thambuttegama, Sri Lanka. He has one child with Mallika Dissanayake.

He and Maithripala Sirisena have both served as President of Sri Lanka.