Sri Lanka's new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, named Harini Amarasuriya, a college professor and first-time lawmaker, as the new prime minister of the Indian Ocean island nation on Tuesday, making her the third woman to be appointed to the post.

Marxist politician Anura Dissanayake won Sri Lanka’s presidential election over the weekend, dealing a blow to a political old guard that has been widely blamed for the unprecedented economic crisis that hit the South Asian island nation two years ago.

The IMF will discuss Sri Lanka's loan program review timing with the new govt led by President Dissanayake. The previous administration negotiated a $2.9 billion facility when the presidential election was announced in July.

By Uditha Jayasinghe, Sudipto Ganguly and Libby George COLOMBO/LONDON (Reuters) -Sri Lanka's new president won the election decisively, but his toughest task still lies ahead as he seeks to balance promises to aid the nation's poor against the need to keep crucial supplies of cash flowing from the International Monetary Fund.