Riding high on the victory in the just-concluded Presidential polls, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday dissolved the country's parliament, paving the way for conduct of general elections two months ahead of schedule.
Rajapaksa, who trounced his former Army Chief Gen Sarath Fonseka in the January 26 polls, signed a decree dissolving the Parliament with effect from midnight on Tuesday, a spokesman said.
The move thus paves the way for conduct of general elections two months ahead
of the schedule. The tenure of the dissolved parliament ends in April.
Political observers feel Rajapaksa decided to dissolve the parliament to cash in on the victory he secured just weeks ago. Rajapaksa had advanced the Presidential elections by nearly two years.
The president's move also comes a day after the army arrested Gen Fonseka, who had vowed to continue in politics despite his defeat in the presidential polls, and said he would face court martial for plotting against Rajapaksa while in service.
Photograph: Reuters/File Photo
