Mr Dissanayake took power in September’s presidential elections on a promise to combat graft. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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 Lanka’s new leftist president aims for a parliament majority in early elections, promising economic reform and anti-corruption action.