LEFTWINGER Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been sworn in as Sri Lanka’s president after a sensational election victory.

Mr Dissanayake who ran as head of the Marxist National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, defeated opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and 36 other candidates in Saturday’s election.

Mr Dissanayake received 5,740,179 votes, followed by Premadasa with 4,530,902.