Sri Lanka votes in parliamentary election

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.