New Sri Lankan president’s party takes large parliamentary election lead

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake shows his finger as he leaves after casting his vote during the parliamentary election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

The party of Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president Anura Kumara Dissanayake took a large lead in early results from the parliamentary elections, in an apparent solid mandate for his programme for economic revival.

Mr Dissanayake’s National People’s Power Party won 15 of the 22 electoral districts whose results have been released so far by the Elections Commission.