COLOMBO — Sri Lankans were voting in a parliamentary election on Thursday that is key for the country's new president to follow through on promises of economic recovery.

Some 17 million eligible voters were choosing between more than 8,000 candidates for the 225-member parliament for a five-year term. A record 690 political parties and independent groups were in the fray across 22 electoral districts.

The election is seen as crucial for both President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power and his political rivals.

The 55-year-old was elected in September, but his National People's Power coalition had just three seats in the outgoing assembly, prompting him to dissolve it and seek a fresh mandate.

Dissanayake has pledged a transformative agenda for Sri Lanka, including combating graft and recovering the economy, which requires a solid parliamentary majority to advance his goals.

He had been a member of parliament for nearly 25 years and was briefly an agriculture minister.

"I expect a new country, a new government that is friendly toward the people," said 70-year-old pensioner Milton Gankandage, who was among the first to vote in Colombo's Wellawatte district.

Umeshi Perera, 32, who waited in line to vote in a Colombo suburb, said, "I think we are seeing the first signs of a positive political change in Sri Lanka after the president was elected and we should give him the chance to continue that change."

Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said they were using drones for the first time to monitor an election, with 80,000 police officers deployed.

"The military is also on standby to assist the police but we do not expect any incidents," he added.

Votes would be counted soon after polling closed on Thursday, with results set for Friday.

Agencies - Xinhua