Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake retained the key defence and finance portfolios in a new cabinet he announced Monday after winning the snap parliamentary elections last week.

Sri Lanka: President Dissanayake retains defence and finance portfolios in new cabinet

Sri Lanka on Thursday (Nov. 14) voted in snap parliamentary elections, in which the new leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's party is expected to solidify its mandate for economic reforms in the wake of a severe national crisis.

Sri Lanka: 17.1 million vote in snap elections as President Dissanayake seeks stronger mandate

Anura Kumara Dissanayake became the 10th president of Sri Lanka, after the first-ever election run-off of the South Asian nation on Sunday (Sep 22). The leftist politician contested the election as part of the National People’s Power or NPP alliance.

Who is Anura Kumara Dissanayake? What you should know about Sri Lanka's new president

The new Sri Lankan government, under the leadership of Anura Kumara Dissanayake, will continue strengthening its friendly relationship with China, a member of the National People's Power (NPP) said on Sunday (Sep 22) hours after the results of the presidential election were announced, the news agency Reuters reported.

New Sri Lankan govt to continue strengthening friendly relationsh with China

Sri Lanka's election commission said on Sunday (September 22) that Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election, and will replace the current president, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka elects Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake as new president

Marxist-leaning leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who grabbed an early lead in the presidential election in Sri Lanka, vowed on Sunday (Sep 22) that he would not scrap the country's unpopular four-year $2.

Sri Lanka presidential election: Anura Kumara Dissanayake vows not to scrap IMF deal

Sri Lanka's Election Commission (EC) on Sunday (Sept 22) confirmed the second preference vote count in yesterday's presidential election. As per the EC, all candidates were eliminated except Marxist-leaning leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Sri Lanka presidential election: All candidates eliminated except Dissanayake, Premadasa