Sri Lanka votes in a parliamentary election that’s key for its new Marxist-leaning president

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankans are voting in a parliamentary election Thursday that is key for the country’s new, Marxist-leaning president to consolidate his party’s power and follow through on promises of economic recovery.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election on Sept. 21 in a victory that marked a rejection of the traditional political parties, which have governed the island nation since its independence from British rule in 1948.

However, Dissanayake’s...