By Uditha Jayasinghe and Sudipto Ganguly COLOMBO (Reuters) -Marxist-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake was leading Sri Lanka's presidential election with half the votes counted on Sunday, seeming to knock out the incumbent for the chance to lead the heavily indebted nation's fragile economic recovery.

Sri Lankans are voting for a new president in the first election since mass protests sparked by the country's worst-ever economic crisis unseated the leader in 2022. Saturday's vote is widely regarded as a referendum on economic reforms meant to put the country on the road to recovery.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka votes for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

According to results declared in postal voting of seven of the 22 electoral districts, the NPP leader has gained 56 per cent of the votes

Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne forged a 147-run partnership to propel hosts Sri Lanka to a lead of 202 on day three of the first Test against New Zealand on Friday.

Polls have closed in Sri Lanka's election, where voters are choosing a new president for the first time since mass protests unseated the country's leader in 2022. Saturday's vote is widely regarded as a referendum on economic reforms meant to put the country on the road to recovery after its worst ever financial crisis.

Sri Lankans will elect a new president in the first election since mass protests sparked by the country's worst-ever economic crisis unseated the leader in 2022. Saturday's election is widely regarded as a referendum on economic reforms meant to put the country on the road to recovery.

Women make up more than half of the voters in Sri Lanka, but in Saturday’s presidential election, not even one will be on the ballot

Sri Lanka's system allows voters to cast three preferential votes for their chosen candidates, with the candidate securing 50% of the votes or