The National People’s Power won a parliamentary election that will allow the country’s new president to unroll his reform agenda, including broader welfare assistance.

Party of Sri Lanka's new Marxist-leaning president is leading in parliamentary elections, results show.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate from National People's Power, addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally ahead of presidential election, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

Sri Lankans are voting in a parliamentary election that's key for their new, Marxist-leaning president to consolidate his party’s power and follow through on promises of economic recovery.

Sri Lanka's president's coalition, the National People's Power (NPP) posted an early lead in a parliamentary election, local television channel Ada Derana said on Thursday.

The NPP won 107 seats, receiving almost 62 per cent or 6.8 million votes in Thursday’s election, putting them past the majority mark in the parliament, latest results on the Election Commission of Sri Lanka‘s website showed. A two-third majority appeared within reach of the coalition.

The party of Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has taken a large lead in early results from the parliamentary elections, in an apparent solid mandate for his program f