Colombo: 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 today, 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.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 00:12