COLOMBO: Sri Lankan shares closed higher for a sixth straight session on Thursday, aided by gains in information technology and consumer discretionary stocks.

The CSE All-Share index settled 0.56% higher at 13,198.80. Sri Lanka markets are closed on Friday for a holiday.

Sri Lankans began voting on Thursday in a snap general election to 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.

Industrial Asphalts (Ceylon) and Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide were the top percent gainers on the CSE All-Share, rising 33.33% each. Trading volume on the index fell to 156.7 million shares from 204.6 million shares in the previous session.