The party of Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has taken a large lead in early results from the parliamentary elections, in an apparent solid mandate for his program for economic revival.

Securing a parliamentary majority will be crucial for Dissanayake to implement his agenda fully, as executive power alone does not permit the appointment of a full cabinet or the passage of significant economic policies.

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.