By Uditha Jayasinghe, Sudipto Ganguly and Libby George COLOMBO/LONDON (Reuters) -Sri Lanka's new president won the election decisively, but his toughest task still lies ahead as he seeks to balance promises to aid the nation's poor against the need to keep crucial supplies of cash flowing from the International Monetary Fund.

The International Monetary Fund is ready to discuss its controversial $2.9 billion bailout programme for Sri Lanka with the country's new government, a spokesman said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will discuss the next review of Sri Lanka's loan program with the new government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The IMF had paused the third review of a $2.