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.

President Anura casted his ballot and showed confidence about his coalition winning with strong majority against the establishment parties.

Why Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election today matters for its future - Stakes are high as election could decide country’s political and economic future

Sri Lanka began counting votes cast on Thursday in a snap general election that will decide if the Indian Ocean island nation will give its new leftist president greater legislative power to help the poor as it recovers from a financial meltdown.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is looking to consolidate his party’s power in Thursday’s parliamentary election to help him implement his election pledges to solve the country’s economic woes and foster good governance.

President Anura Dissanayake's National People's Power Party Wins Parliamentary Majority

In the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, the left-wing coalition of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won a majority in the country's

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. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called for snap a general election in September to seek a mandate to take forward his policies in the island nation struggling to emerge from a severe financial crisis.