Sri Lanka’s new president’s faces uphill task in push for change

FILE - Commanders of the security forces stand behind as Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumar Dissanayake addresses a gathering after he was sworn in at the Sri Lankan President's Office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sept.23, 2024. (Sri Lankan President's Office via AP, File)

Catapulted to power on an anti-corruption platform, Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, faces an uphill task in meeting his commitments to clean up the country’s political culture and improving lives for millions mired in poverty since the country’s economic collapse two years ago, say analysts.