Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake is a Sri Lankan politician serving as the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka since September 2024. He has been the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) since 2014 and the National People's Power (NPP) since 2019. He previously served as Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation in the 2004–2005 UPFA coalition government and served as Chief Opposition Whip from 2015 to 2018.
Quick Facts
Career Timeline
All data is sourced from primary government records, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Department of Census and Statistics, Supreme Court determinations, and the National Audit Office.
Student Political Activist
Engaged in Socialist Students' Union student union activities at University of Kelaniya, graduating with B.Sc. in Physical Science (1995).
National Organizer — Socialist Students' Union
Appointed to the Central Committee of the JVP and served as National Organizer for youth movement.
Member of Parliament (National List)
Appointed as a Member of Parliament on the JVP National List following the 2000 Parliamentary Election.
Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation
Appointed to the Cabinet under President Kumaratunga following the UPFA-JVP coalition pact.
Resignation from Cabinet
Resigned ministerial portfolio alongside JVP ministers in protest of the P-TOMS post-tsunami mechanism with LTTE.
Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Elected Leader of the JVP following the retirement of Somawansa Amarasinghe.
Chief Opposition Whip
Recognized as Chief Opposition Whip in Parliament with R. Sampanthan as Leader of the Opposition.
Presidential Candidate & Leader of National People's Power (NPP)
Formally launched the National People's Power (NPP) coalition and contested the 2019 Presidential Election (secured 418,553 votes / 3.16%).
9th Executive President of Sri Lanka
Inaugurated as Executive President after winning the 2024 Presidential Election with 5,589,406 votes (42.31% 1st round / 55.89% after preferential count).
Parliament & Terms
Calculated from recorded parliamentary service dates.
Public Accountability
MANDATORY VERIFICATION POLICY: Every submission enters [PENDING REVIEW]. Unverified social media rumors, partisan commentary, or defamatory statements without primary official documentation (Supreme Court, Parliament, NAO, Gazette) will be automatically rejected.
A petition was filed by a citizen challenging the timing and term calculation of the presidential election. Supreme Court dismissed the petition with costs against the petitioner.