Sri Lanka holds a snap election on Thursday which will determine if the South Asian island nation wants to empower its new, leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to push his anti-poverty policies 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.

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will vote in a snap general election on Thursday, called by new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to secure a majority in parliament to back his policies in the island nation struggling to recover from a crushing financial crisis.

Sri Lanka's new leftist leader has drawn strong support from an unlikely source as he seeks to expand his three parliamentary seats to a house majority in elections on Thursday.

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ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka will complete its debt restructuring deals by December this year and the island nation will start repaying loans in 2028 in a stronger economy, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

Sri Lanka's general election sees a shift in political landscape as voters choose representatives amid economic crisis aftermath.

Strong support that Dissanayake secured in the presidential election will likely stay with his party in Thursday’s election, analysts say