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

Mr Dissanayake, a Marxist, won the presidential election on September 21 in a victory that marked a rejection of the political parties that have governed the island nation since its independence from British rule in 1948.

President Dissanayake, while campaigning for his National Peoples' Power (NPP) party’s candidates, has called on voters to help elect them to Parliament so he won't need to rely on a coalition to enact the reforms he promised.

He told a rally during Monday’s final day of campaigning that “a strong government should be formed to rebuild the country. A government that is unshakeable in the Parliament should be established. 

“And to do that, Parliament should be filled with elected members from our party.”

The election comes at a decisive time for Sri Lankans, as the island nation emerges from its worst economic crisis, having declared bankruptcy after defaulting on its external debt in 2022.

Ruwan Sanjeewa, who works as a labourer, joined one of the final rallies held by the president’s party in the town of Gampaha, 21 miles north of Colombo, and said he would vote for the NPP.

He said: “Traditional political parties who ruled this country over the last few decades have failed to deliver what they promised. 

“So, I want to give a chance to the NPP. I am hopeful the NPP might do something good for this country.”

The country is now in the middle of a bailout programme reached by his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mr Dissanayake had said during the presidential campaign that he planned to propose significant changes to the targets set in the IMF deal, but now says he won't try to change the deal.